Rising Phoenix
by A Tragic Galaxy
Summary: Anakin saves Darra's life but leaves the temple, allowing Palpatine to put a clone in his place. Now as the Queen's guardian, Anakin must either forget his past life and allow his clone to remain a Jedi, or tell the truth and ruin Padme's future forever.
1. Learning to Shine

**A Several-Part fanfic.**

**I do not own Star Wars.**

**Reviews = Chapter Update**

**I don't know the actual age of Anakin here - Jedi Quest hinted he was about 18, but Last of the Jedi said he was 16. The plot works better if he were 16, so I'm going with Last of the Jedi.**

**...**

_**Exerpt from Jedi Quest book 10, when the Jedi are finally taking down Granta Omega in the tombs of the Sith.**_

_** ...**_

_Tru swung his lightsaber in an arc. It flickered. Anakin watched in horror as it buzzed, the shaft flickering again and again. It was losing power!_

_ Tru was in the middle of the fray. Obi-Wan hadn't seen it. He had charged forward, the way to Omega now clear._

_ Everything in Anakin screamed to follow Obi-Wan, to be in on the capture of Omega. Except one thing._

_ Friendship._

_ But he had hesitated too long. As he watched, Ferus and Tru exchanged a glance. Simultaneously, Ferus and Tru flipped their lightsabers through the air. Tru caught Ferus's, and Ferus caught Tru's._

_ Re-energized, Tru went after the undead, hacking off limbs and disabling the living corpses. Ferus dropped to a backup position with the half-powered lightsaber._

_..(irrelevant paragraph)..._

_ He saw it again, the flicker on the end of his vision, a cape furling as a serpent's strike. The Sith stood at the entrance to the tomb. Waiting. His face was hidden in the shadow of his hood._

_ Zan Arbor hurried toward him._

_ Anakin wrenched his attention back to Tru. Because Ferus was watching Tru's back, he was the only one in Omega's path. The Jedi Masters had all been at the fore of the fight. Ferus's lightsaber flickered in the dark._

_ Seeing that he was in trouble, Darra Force-leaped toward Ferus, her lightsaber held high, determined to save him._

_ Anakin saw the smile on Omega's face when he fired._

_ The bolts hit Darra straight in the chest. She fell, still keeping her body between Omega and Ferus._

_ Sora cried out. Anakin felt the moment spin out into impossible time, time that froze everything, even his heart._

_ He saw Tru's mouth open in a howl. He saw Ferus drop to his knees and crawl toward Darra, saw him take a blaster bolt in the shoulder and keept on going. He saw Siri leap forward to defend all of them, saw Soara fly through the air in a great Force-leap to be near her padawan. Saw Darra's head turn toward him, her cheek against the dirt. Saw the cloudy film in Darra's eyes, the shock of catching the blow. He saw, as if it were a physical struggle, her gathering her courage to accept the blow._

_ He saw all this, and still he didn't move._

_ And then Omega moved, reversing course once again, quickly retreating away from the tomb._

_ Anguish on his face, Obi-Wan turned away from the Jedi and followed him._

_ Real time came rushing back, and there was not enough of it._

Anakin ran to Darra.

Suddenly nothing else mattered. Jedi spoke of the dangers of tunnel-vision, when a single goal blocks out all other circumstances, clouding one's mind. Anakin's mind felt clear as a bell. He knew exactly what he had to do. He had to save Darra.

Ry-Gual's warning echoed behind Anakin as he charged through the zombies and droids, dodging and twisting without bothering to utilize his lightsaber. It was as though time had slowed down for him. Blaster bolts were lazy streaks lighting up the air. Zombies were puppets moving through sludge, unable to land a finger on him.

The Jedi would later say that Anakin shone that battle. How it happened none could explain, but an ethereal golden light surrounded the padawan as he kneeled next to Darra.

"Don't you dare die now," Anakin hissed as he grabbed her hand.

He had no idea what he was doing, or how he got there in the first place. He only knew his heart was racing like he had never felt before, an inexplicable passion coursing through his veins, releasing the Force in a wave of unleashed power. Looking into Darra's rust colored eyes, Anakin pushed every ounce of his will into her lifeforce, ordering her to live.

Darra's eyes widened as something close to a bolt of electricity jolted her. She could feel energy pouring into her, sealing the ragged wound and causing a rapid regeneration of blood cells in her system.

"How," she whispered as the pain fell away, leaving her weak but alive.

Anakin said nothing as the glow around him faded. He didn't know how he had done it himself. It had just happened. Anakin didn't wait longer though for further questions. Grabbing his lightsaber and fighting a sudden bout of lightheadedness, he ran to help his master.

_They'll be okay when I'm gone,_ he reassured himself as he raced down the corridor. _Will they?_

He was not expecting the hand that reached out and caught ahold of his neck, slamming him against the wall.

Choking and pulling against the gloved hand, Anakin stared into the shadowed yellow eyes of the Sith.

Dark power rolled over him, making him feel naseous. Anakin struggled to pull air into his lungs, fighting the fear and anger that bombarded him from all sides.

_They don't want you._

_ They look to Ferus instead._

_ You're more powerful than they are. They should respect you._

_ Obi-Wan never wanted to train you._

_ The Jedi are holding back on you. They think you are too powerful, and they do not like it when others are more capable than they._

_ You could become great._

_ They are holding back on you._

_ They trust Ferus. Where is your master's trust in his own padawan?_

_ We can make you powerful._

_ The Jedi are holding back on you._

_ They are holding back - _

Anakin felt like he was drowning in the accusations that echoed his own thoughts. Just as he thought he would collapse under the pressure, an image of Darra lying on the tomb floor filled his thoughts. Latching onto it like a drowning man grabbing onto a plank of wood, Anakin tore his mind from the Sith's visions and returned his cold gaze.

"No."

The Sith's eyes narrowed at Anakin's reply.

"Don't be so cocky, Jedi," he said in a loud hiss as his grip tightened on the padawan's throat.

"Anakin!"

The Sith's gaze snapped around as Obi-Wan appeared, racing to his padawan's aid. With a hiss the Sith dropped the boy, drawing his own lightsaber and running in the oposite direction.

Obi-Wan didn't follow him, but ran to Anakin's side.

"Are you all right?" he asked in concern as he examined his padawan's bruised neck.

Anakin managed a nod and struggled to his feet. "Darra," he croaked.

Obi-Wan gave a curt nod and helped Anakin back through the tunnel.

Anakin blinked rapidly as spots swam in his vision. Why was he feeling so dizzy? He hadn't gotten hit... he thought. He stopped suddenly as they entered the tomb where the others were.

The droids and zombies were decimated, Ry-Gual, Siri, and their padawans watching for a further attack. Soara held an unconscious Darra, a worried look on her face.

The last thing Anakin saw was Tru's furious glance in his direction. Then he passed out.

...


	2. Leaving

When Anakin woke, he was surprised to find himself in the healer's ward. Obi-Wan had fallen asleep in a chair close by, his head pillowed on his raised arm.

Anakin slowly sat up, wondering what had happened. The last thing he remembered was feeling dizzy in the Sith tombs. How had he ended up here?

"Ah, I see you're finally awake!" Tiangu, one of the healers, gave him a cheery smile as she came over and removed the IV from his arm.

"We were getting rather worried about you," she said lightheartedly as she began to check the computer readouts above Anakin's head. "You've been unconscious for two days now."

"Two days?" Anakin said - well, tried to say. His throat felt incredibly dry, and he couldn't force the words out.

Tiangu laughed slightly and quickly got him a glass of water.

"Have I really been unconscious that long?" Anakin asked softly as he looked towards his master.

Tiangu nodded gravely. "Nothing was wrong in the tests though. Blood tests, computer diagnosis, vital organs... you get the picture." She picked up a datapad and sat across from Anakin, putting finger to her lips as she pointed at Obi-Wan.

"He's been here almost the whole time," she whispered. "I finally got him to go to sleep an hour ago. Try not to disturb him."

Anakin nodded.

"Okay then," Tiangu continued in a soft voice. "Do you remember happened before you fell unconscious?"

Anakin slowly told what happened after Darra got shot. He was reluctant to speak of his experience with the Sith, but he knew the healers would want all the information.

Tiangu stared at her datapad after he was finished and shrugged. "I suspect your fainting incident had to do with the Sith, but unfortunately we have no tests to prove that. I need you to notify a healer at once though if you start feeling lightheaded again."

Just then Obi-Wan snorted in his sleep and accidently moved his elbow off the chair. Startled at the sudden movement, he opened his eyes and quickly sat up.

"Is he - " Obi-Wan looked over at Anakin and visibly relaxed when he saw his padawan's eyes were open

"How are you feeling?" Obi-Wan asked, genuine concern in his voice.

Anakin smiled. "I've had more painful injuries podracing. What happened after I fell unconscious?"

"Omega is dead," Obi-Wan explained briefly. "But Zan Arbor and the Sith escaped. Darra was injured as you know, but we were able to get both of you to the temple in time." He stopped for a moment. "What I don't understand though, is how Darra could have sustained a massive blood loss and yet have no visible injury." He gave Anakin a long, hard look. "You have any idea?"

Anakin recalled the strange burst of energy he had felt when he had touched Darra's hand. He slowly shook his head no.

Obi-Wan sat back, his face grave. "Anakin, giving another Jedi your life force may save them, but it has never been taught strictly for the reason that it could just as easily kill you!"

Anakin was dumbstruck. "What are you talking about?"

Obi-Wan watched him a moment, then shook his head. "I had hoped you realized what you were doing, and then perhaps you would have known better how to control it. What you did was a highly unstable and extremely dangerous healing method that even Master Yoda rarely touches. To pour your own life force into another being is not an easy task. What you did was you practically gave Darra your own ability to survive. If you had gone too much further you could very well have given her your entire life force and you would have killed yourself!"

Anakin stared at his master as confusion swirled in his brain. His own life force? He _had _been willing Darra to live!

Obi-Wan shook his head, his own troubled thoughts etched onto his face. "Anakin, I cannot have you doing that again. You don't realize the danger you could be placing yourself in. You could have died!" He knew he was overstressing the death part, but Anakin hadn't realized how close he had come.

Anakin nodded softly, still tired from the events of the past several days.

Obi-Wan sighed. "Well, I suppose nothing can be done about it now." He stood up. "Get some sleep. The council wants to speak with you as soon as you have your strength back."

Anakin's curiousity rose, but Obi-Wan turned and left, closing off any further concentration.

_I never even knew what I was doing,_ was Anakin's last thought as his head touched the pillow. He was asleep immediately.

...

Several days later, Anakin met with the council, who made him explain in detail the events he had experienced in the tombs of the Sith. Apparently they were concerned that the padawans had been pushed too far in the urgency for more Jedi knights in the galaxy. The trials for knighthood had been postponed.

Somehow Anakin wasn't surprised, but that didn't stop the disapointment and frustration that knifed through him at the council's words. So he would have to wait now. It didn't matter how well he did. He would still remain a padawan.

Anakin meandered through the halls, looking for Darra and Tru. Apparently Darra had been released from the medical wards before Anakin, but where she was no one knew. Ferus had a meeting with the council at the moment, and Tru, Anakin learned, had been censured by with the council on account of hiding his faulty lightsaber during the mission. Anakin felt a quick stab of guilt, knowing that he had his also been a part of it.

Nearing the council room again, Anakin was surprised when Ferus walked out. He nearly passed Anakin by, as though blinded by his feelings.

"Ferus?"

The padawan turned. "Anakin. Well. I think you should be the first to know. I have resigned from the Jedi Order."

"WHAT?" Anakin couldn't understand it. "But why?"

Ferus hesitated. "Darra could have died. And I was the one that brought it about."

"That's not true - you couldn't have known - "

"But I did," Ferus objected. "I knew that Tru's lightsaber was malfunctioned. I offered to fix it secretly. I did not tell Tru's Master or urge him to do so. His lightsaber failed in battle, and Darra was nearly killed trying to protect me."

"But you said you fixed it!" Anakin objected.

Ferus stopped. He gave Anakin a hard stare. "You knew?" he asked. "You knew Tru's lightsaber was broken? You must have seen me fixing it."

Anakin knew he had backed himself into a corner, and he cursed his mistake. "I didn't say that."

"No, you didn't," Ferus agreed. "But there are only two of us here, Anakin. You don't have to lie."

Anakin bristled with barely controlled fury. As usual, Ferus was trying to trap him, to show Anakin how much more noble he was.

"When we got back, I took it to the Jedi Master Tolan Hing," Ferus continued. "He told me that the fusing between the flux aperture and the power cell needed a slight adjustment. Nothing major, in fact Tru might never have noticed it. The only problem is that in battle, the power drained faster than normal."

"I don't know why you're telling me this..." Anakin said.

Tru's voice came from behind him. "Because you fixed the flux aperture. You would have known that it needed to be rechecked after the power cell boost."

Anakin turned. "You didn't come to me!"

Tru's eyes narrowed and he shook his head. "That's funny. Shouldn't you have said, _But I didn't know it was broken?_"

"You're trying to trap me," Anakin said, shooting an angry glare at Ferus. "Both of you!" He turned to his friend. "Tru, I would never do anything deliberately to put you into a position..."

Anakin's voice trailed off as Tru's face hardened. His silver eyes held a sheen Anakin had never seen before. They were icy, as though Anakin could slip off his gaze.

"I wondered," Tru said. "When we got back here I wondered if you knew. I saw how you froze back in the tomb. 'But not my friend,' I said to myself. 'My friend would never do that.' But then I thought about how you feel about Ferus, how angry you had been. You would want to get him in trouble, even if it meant exposing me."

"That's not fair!" Anakin said, feeling his world fall apart around him.

Tru continued. "And suddenly I realized - _yes, Anakin could have done that_."

"You're looking at this all wrong," Anakin said.

But how could he explain? He couldn't admit that he knew Tru's lightsaber was broken because he couldn't understand why he'd forgotten to tell him to readjust it. How could he have forgotten something so crucial? Tru would think he'd deliberately forgotten it. Worst of all, there was nothing he could say to convince his friend otherwise, because he himself didn't know the reasons.

Tru's eyes narrowed. "I don't think so. I think I'm truly seeing you for the first time."

Anakin swallowed. He didn't know what to say. This was an unfamiliar Tru, not the friend of his childhood.

"I'll see you outside," Tru said to Ferus as he walked away.

"Do you see what you've done?" Anakin said savagely to Ferus.

"Yes, I see what I've done," Ferus said calmly. "Do you?" He shook his head. "I'm afraid for you. You think admitting you were wrong opens you up to attack."

"That's not true," Anakin countered. "I think you should save your fears for yourself."

A spasm of fear crossed Ferus's face. Anakin could not imagine how awful it must feel, to give up the Jedi Order. It would be like giving up everything he lived for.

"If the Jedi ever need me, I will be there," Ferus said quietly. "That includes you, Anakin."

Ferus walked away quickly, Anakin's glare following him. Ferus had gotten the last word. Not only that, but it had been a kind one. The noble Padawan to the last.

And Tru? Tru was angry with him, but he had never truly understood the burden Anakin carried. Maybe Tru had never understood him at all. Perhaps no one did, except his Master. Tru would come around.

Anakin walked outside, catching sight of Ferus as he joined Tru. He felt like he was watching them through the wrong end of a pair of electrobinoculars. They seemed so small, so far away.

Feeling his presence, Tru looked back over his shoulder at Anakin. Then it hit him like a punch that knocked the air from his lungs. Tru would never come around. Anakin had lost his friend forever.

Overwhelming regret replaced his anger as he watched them leave. Would others abandon him too? Would Darra?

Hearing footsteps behind him, Anakin turned to see Obi-Wan come up behind him.

"Anakin, I've been looking for you," his master said.

Anakin felt like he was in a daze. "Do you need me?"

"No, I... Anakin? Is something wrong?"

Anakin didn't want to go into details about what had just happened. "Ferus has resigned from the Jedi Order," he stated simply.

Obi-Wan let out a breath. "I was afraid he would do something like that. He took this mission very strongly." He paused a minute, then continued. "I wanted to tell you though... the Jedi Council has decided that they won't speed up the trails for Padawans. Your knighthood will have to wait a bit longer."

Anakin nodded slowly. He had been told earlier.

Obi-Wan continued though, not having seen his padawan's acknowledgement. "When the time is right, you'll take the trials. I have no doubt you will astonish us all." His voice held great pride as he spoke. "Until then, we will work together. There is so much left to do, and I'm grateful to have you by my side for a little longer." Obi-Wan paused as he saw that Anakin's attention was directed elsewhere. "Anakin? Are you all right?" he asked again.

Suddenly Anakin realized he was all right. His mind was clearer than it had ever been before. The weakness in his knees he'd felt when he saw Tru walk away was gone. The lancing wounds from his friend's words had only pointed him in the right direction.

"I'm fine," he said softly. And he would be. But not while he remained at the temple.

Anakin could see now that he had been fooling himself all along. The Sith was right. He was not wanted here. The Jedi only trained him because they needed him, because they feared his capabilities. He was their Chosen One, their weapon against the Sith. Only his friends had seen him as Anakin.

And now his best friend was gone.

So be it. Anakin would leave as well. Suddenly he recognized the knife like pain Ferus had felt at the possibility of leaving behind everything he had ever known. But he pushed down the feeling, allowing it to strengthen his resolve.

Ignoring Obi-Wan's preterbed gaze, Anakin walked back to his room. It was time to find his own place in life.

...

Nightfall found Anakin wide awake and ready. Wearing civilian clothing, his braid tucked into the colar of his shirt, Anakin looked one last time at his room. Nearly everything would be left behind. His most important tools, a few droid parts, and some other supplies were packed for his departure, but his model podracers, ship parts, and the rest of his belongings would be left behind for the council to deal with as they chose.

Anakin smiled ruefully as he laid his lightsaber on the desk. Ferus might leave the honorable way by telling the council of his leaving, but not Anakin. He was a former slave, and a junkyard thief. He had been sneaking out of the temple since he was nine years old, and tonight would be his last excursion. There would be no noble departure for Anakin Skywalker.

"Goodbye, Master," he whispered to the wall seperating their quarters. He knew this would be unfair to Obi-Wan, but he couldn't risk any delays.

Anakin's thoughts went to Darra. She would never forgive him for not saying goodbye, but perhaps she had given up on him already. Anakin had not seen Darra since Koriban, and for all he knew she could be siding with Tru right now.

Anakin gave a final glance around his room. He couldn't stay any longer or he might change his mind. Swiftly crossing over to the wall, he activated a small panel, revealing a secret opening.

Anakin allowed a small smile at his ingenuity. He had discovered the series of tunnels leading underneath the temple some years ago. Obi-Wan had never been able to figure out how his padawan could leave the temple without being sighted.

Hitting the button at the top of the opening, Anakin let himself down the opening and felt his stomach flip as he slid down the many twists and turns of the badly lighted flume. Finally the tunnel ended, revealing a large underground room.

Anakin smiled at the familiar area. He wasn't sure why this cavern had been carved underneath the temple, but it had served his purposes often. Now he was leaving it for good.

Sighing wistfully at the ancient Jedi cruiser he had found years before and slowly been repairing, Anakin hitched his pack higher up his shoulders and walked out. He was soon lost in the maze of streets on Courosant.

...

Close by, Darth Sidious watched as Anakin walked away. So this was it. Skywalker was leaving the temple. It was time to carry out plan B.

"Take the boy to his new quarters," he said to his apprentice. "The Jedi must never realize he was gone."

Anakin Skywalker, Sidious's plan B. The clone had been created so precicely that even the boy's own memories were identical to the Chosen One's. The Jedi would never know the difference. And soon, Palpatine would have his own revenge.

He smiled in the evening twilight, gloating over the temple and picturing its demise. Yes. Soon the Jedi would be no more. He would see to it.

...

**Review please. Really need to know if people like this.**


	3. New Beginning

** One and a half years later...**

"Stop that boy!"

"Grab 'im!"

"Get back here, you little aklay!"

Seventeen and a half year old Anakin Skywalker grinned as he raced along the lower levels of Coruscant's underground. Tonight's crime was made up of outdealing an underground gambling master. As soon as Anakin had swiped all the money, he had signalled for the Coruscant police force, who had quickly decimated one of the greatest crime organizations they had found in years. Naturally of course, the gambling master was most displeased, and had sent his goons to chase down the boy as soon as he found out what happened.

"I'll remember you, Laurence Stalin," a thug shouted and shook his fist as his quarry disapeared. "I won't forget your name!"

Anakin grinned. A year and a half wasn't a very long time, yet he had already managed to create a reputation for being a slippery nuisance and detective as well as an unbeatable opponent in Coruscant's lower levels. Criminals spoke of him in whispers, their stories causing the name 'Laurence Stalin' to create a shiver of trepidation in the spine of every thug in the black market.

Laurence Stalin, the name Anakin had picked to hide his identity, was never a very fearsome title, but it worked well enough for his purposes. Besides, the criminals had come up with other nicknames for him ever since he began moving up the totem pole of power over half a year ago.

When he first left the temple, Anakin had nearly been killed several times. Only his Jedi skills allowed him to remain alive for the first few weeks, but after he tired of depending on the force for survival, Anakin was able to barter a force inhibitor off the black market. The device served two purposes; it cut off any possible way for the Jedi to track him, and it allowed him to heighten his own skill without needing to rely on his the force.

He hated depending on the force. What was once considered a means of life to Skywalker was now a loathed fiend that was rarely around when he needed it most. Anakin preferred his own abilities, which he could trust. Despite all this however he still had the clip to his force binder unlocked, just in case he needed it one day.

Without the force, Anakin's fighting methods had changed greatly. His once clumsy attempts at hand to hand combat were now advanced to the degree that he could take on many thugs at once, even when a hutt or a doug joined the party. Having left his lightsaber behind, Anakin's choice weapon was a long durusteel pole that he carried everywhere. Blasters were an excellent backup, but the temple had at least drilled into him a reverence for life, and Anakin loathed to kill unless it truly couldn't be avoided.

Without the force he had learned to train his body to move swiftly on its own. 'Lightning Laurence' the females liked to call him whenever they spoke of his great speed. The hutts and thugs were more furious with his skills though, giving him the name 'Strike' for his ability to crash an organization and make a clean getaway before anyone had a chance to say 'the police are here!'

Anakin's skills were not the only thing that had changed. His hair, dyed black to disguise his identity, now fell in raven waves to his shoulder, effectively hiding the padawan braid he still wore. His body was lean and fit, his corded muscles displaying a hidden strength. Anakin's Jedi robes had been exchanged for a black sleeveless leather shirt, trousers, and knee high boots that altogether held a variety of lock picks, blasters, and other supplies and weapons. A thin scar ran across his forehead, drawing attention to his steely blue eyes. Had Obi-Wan seen his former padawan now, he would not have recognized him.

One and a half years, and so much had changed. The Jedi had not searched for him. He was surprised, and for a while he had been displeased. After a time he realized it hardly mattered. He hadn't wanted them to bring him back, after all. Why should he want them to search for him?

Remembering his days back at the temple, he considered how foolish his urge to be the best really was. Had he really thought it so important to be greater than everybody? Had he once considered the rivalship with Ferus to be such an important matter? Anakin shook his head. So much had changed in him. He would have left the temple earlier if he had known what bondage he had been placing himself under.

And then there was his mother. Shmi had always been on his mind as he worked to be a Jedi, his dreams filled with thoughts of freeing her. And now he finally had. It had taken several podraces on Malastar and careful saving, but Anakin had finally earned enough. How proud she had been, and how thrilled they both were as the slave chip was finally deactivated.

Anakin remembered the day when she told him of Cliegg Lars' request for her to marry him. At first he had been loathe for her to marry anyone, but when Anakin learned of the years of savings Cliegg had put aside to free Shmi, he understood how much the man loved her. A simple Boonta Eve race and the rest of Anakin's savings provided the money for Cliegg and his own son to closer to the city, where they would be more sheltered from sand storms and Tuskan raiders. Knowing his mother would live in safety had put aside a great deal of internal anger that Anakin had never realized he possessed.

Anakin smiled and shook his head. Years at the temple had never brought him any closer to his dreams of helping his mom. Now as an exiled Jedi he was suddenly accomplishing all he had ever hoped for in life.

"STRIKE!"

Anakin looked up, startled from his reverie as a poisoned dart buried itself into the durusteel next to his face. Time to start moving again.

Dodging black market sellers and not-so-innocent bystanders, Anakin made his way towards the old shipyard directly below the Coruscant senate building. There was a series of corridors there that he could manuever through in his sleep, or so he flattered himself.

Just as he thought he could get there without any trouble however, Anakin skidded to a stop as a troup of thugs blocked the allyway. Turning around, he met with a similar group.

"Can I help you, fellows?" he asked lightly as he examined their weapons.

Some typical thugs liked beating a person to death and _then_ cutting their throat, but many preferred the easier way of simply shooting their prey if it tended to act like a Naboo squirrel. Seeing as that was the closest thing Anakin would resemble if he tried climbing the walls above him, he decided to the less dangerous route would be to attack them head on.

"We've got a score to settle with you, Strike," said a besalisk with a leering, toothy grin and spiked gloves on his four arms.

"Oh, really?" Anakin backed up against the wall as he spoke, keeping both groups of thugs in his sight. "Well I'm sorry to disapoint you, but I'm afraid I have another appointment right now. I'd love to talk later though if you like."

The besalisk scowled as it pounded two of his fists into his open palms. "You're on the end of your line, Strike."

Anakin smiled as he bent his knees slightly. "Am I?"

As the first thug charged at him, Anakin leapt, twisted, and landed on the opposite side of the narrow allyway. The thug managed to stop his momentum just in time to avoid hitting the wall, and he shouted in anger as the rest of the group bore down on the former Jedi apprentice.

Diving to the floor, Anakin rolled between the besalisk's legs and threw out a high kick just in time to hit a dug in the stomach, flinging it against the wall. Flipping to his feet, he quickly ducked to prevent his head being crushed as two thugs aimed a punch in his direction. Grabbing hold of their extended wrists, Anakin snapped his legs out in a mid-air split, catching one thug on the forehead and the other at the temple. Both fell to the ground and did not move. Anakin didn't have time to make sure they were unconscious though as the dug returned, landing a nasty blow to Anakin's head. His ears ringing, Anakin dodged the combined attacks of three other thugs as he swung out his durasteel pole, slamming it into the dug's chest and throwing him out of the combat for good. A flick of the wrist crashed the pole into the side of the besalisk's head, and a backward twist reversed it to hit a humanoid thug as he leapt towards Anakin. Only three thugs were left. Anakin ducked another punch and rolled as a spiked boot was aimed at his back. A knife blade flashed in the dim light. Things were getting serious. Having lost their stronger allies when the besalisk and dug were defeated, the thugs were tired of playing games. Avoiding the knife as it slashed towards his face, Anakin felt a flash of panic as he was suddenly grabbed from behind by a barabel. A fist slammed into his back next to his shoulder, causing spots of pain to flash in his vision. There was no more room for mercy, or Anakin would get himself killed. Flinging his head back, Anakin felt it connect with the barabel's face, forcing its head back and snapping its neck. Throwing himself to the floor, Anakin desperately rolled as the other two thugs charged. A quick swipe of his durasteel pole disabled the knife hand of one thug. Anakin grabbed an electric shocker from his belt and latched it onto the thug's vest, twisting away as electricity coursed through the creature's veins, rendering it unconscious. The last thug standing was suprisingly humanoid. A tall, wiry kid a little older than Anakin, he apparently preffered to stand back and let the others take down the quarry first. His skills though made up for his lack of strength as he twirled and kicked out, trying to disable Anakin with swift jabs at specific pressure points. Tired of the annoying twerp as the he continued to evade his durusteel pole, Anakin finally drew a blaster and shot the kid's leg.

"Looks like you're on the end of your line," Anakin echoed the besalisk's past phrase as the kid looked at him in horror, waiting for the death blow that never came. A light tap to the side of his head sent the kid into the oblivion of unconsciousness.

Anakin shook his head as he surveyed the fallen thugs.

"I really need to find a less dangerous hobby," he said ruefully as he twirled his blaster and replaced it in its holster.

What he really wanted right now though, was a nice hot shower and a bacta patch for the large bruise he knew would be spreading across his shoulder. With a sigh Anakin put the durasteel pole in its special sheath across his back and left the alley.

Twilight had fallen on Coruscant as Anakin returned to the city levels and made his way to his apartment; a quaint place with a small kitchen, living room, and bedroom.

Being in a seedier area of Coruscant, questions were never asked as a general rule. The landlord couldn't care less if Anakin were the greatest criminal in the galaxy, so long as he paid his rent on time and offered an occasional bribe for the landlord's silence.

Glad to be in a quiet atmosphere, Anakin made a quick late supper, dealt with his shoulder, and sent a short message to his mother to reassure her he was fine. A shower removed all traces of blood and eased his sore muscles, and by the time he was finished Anakin felt much better. Changing into a pair of dark blue flannel pants, he collapsed on the bed and was asleep before his head even hit the pillow.

...

"My lady, it is not safe for you to be here." Nabano, a royal guard, looked around warily as he watched his queen purchase a breakfast treat for a small, filthy orphan.

Padme Amidala smiled at him as she gave the little girl a quick hug. "Don't be so worried, Nabano. It's plenty safe here, and even if something does happen, you're here to guard me."

"You have an important delegation meeting tommorrow that will not occur if you are murdered wandering the lower streets of Coruscant!" Nabano was rightfully concerned. This was too far from the protection of the Coruscant higher levels, where the queen's safety would be a foremost concern to other beings. Here, in the lower sections where the criminal life began to creep about, the queen's yearning to aid people like the young orphan could very well get her killed.

Padme rolled her eyes but returned to her guard. "Please, Nabano. I have to help them somehow."

"You can help them more as a voice in the senate," Nabano chided her as he led the way back to Coruscant's upper levels.

Padme smiled and shook her head. Nabano was a little too protective in her opinion, but she tried to respect his concern. He didn't understand though how painful it was for her to see all this poverty and yet do nothing but argue pointless cases in the senate.

Nabano continued lecturing her as they walked swiftly back, but Padme's mind was elsewhere as she saw the hungry, terrified eyes of orphans, the hopeless desolation of the adults, and the shifty glances of some of the less civilized beings that resided in the lowest safe level on Coruscant.

Just then a slight movement in an alley caught her eye, and Padme cried out a warning as a figure suddenly leapt out! A long knife flashed, slaying her guard before he could move. Padme's eyes widened in horror as she drew her hidden blaster and aimed it at the man. His knife slashed towards his wrist, and with a cry Padme jerked back and ran, hoping to get far enough away that she could shoot without risking her arm being cut off. Her dress hampered her movements, and she could hear the knife wielder's footsteps behind her.

..

Back in the square, a small girl clutching a breakfast pastry had watched as the knife cut down the queen's guard. Dropping the pastry in her haste, she turned and ran down the alley towards Courasant's lower levels. The lady needed help, and she knew exactly who to go to.

..

Padme tripped over her long dress and fell to the ground in an undignified heap. Rolling over, she shot the blaster point blank at the knife wielder's chest. He laughed as it richocheted off his armor and grabbed the queen's arm. Her last defense gone, Padme began to scream as she scratched and hit at the man's face.

He laughed again as he grabbed her wrists and shook her roughly, pulling her towards the alleyway. Padme screamed louder as she dug in her heels and tried to delay the man as much as she could.

"Move, sweetheart," the man growled as he pulled her down the alleyway. Frustrated at her uncooperation, he raised a hand to strike her.

Padme gasped as a metal pole suddenly was thrust in front of her face, causing her attacker to strike his hand against the durusteel. He shouted in pain and suprise as a gloved hand reached out and grabbed his collar, slamming him into the wall.

Padme stared at her supposed rescuer. Tall and muscled, he smiled grimly at the assasin as he shook his raven hair out of his eyes. He said nothing, his fiery blue gaze speaking volumes.

"Leggo of me," the knife wielder choked as he fought the hands on his neck. "I didn't mean no harm!"

The raven haired man's eyes narrowed. Whirling the man into the alleyway, he swung his pole around so that it crashed into the assasin's arm.

"All right, all right!" the man screamed as he clutched his broken limb. "I'm sorry, I tried to kidnap her! Eesh, I wasn't even going to do anything in the first place!"

The raven haired man rolled his eyes and kicked out at the assasin's head, knocking him out. Pulling a pair of stun cuffs from a pouch at his belt, he secured the asssasin's hands behind his back. The whole time he said nothing.

Padme meanwhile had silently retrieved her own blaster. She didn't know who she should fear more; the attacker or her rescuer.

"Don't move!" she said forcefully as she aimed the blaster at the raven haired man.

He looked up with a puzzled expression on his face. Raising an eyebrow at the Padme's terrified but strong gaze, he shrugged and slung the knife-wielder's unconscious form over his shoulder, then pulled out a credit chip and handed it to a young girl trailing behind him.

Padme recognized her as the orphan she had seen earlier, and she looked between the two with a small amount of hope rising in her.

The orphan smiled. "I sent for Strike!" she exclaimed. "I saved you!"

She giggled and ran out of the alley, clutching her credit chip tightly.

Strike smiled grimly and dipped his head towards the alleyway entrance, indicating they needed to leave.

Preturbed at his silence, Padme warily followed, her blaster still aimed at his back. Strike walked with a casual air as though having his life threatened by a frightened woman was an everyday occurence.

"Milady!" Panaca called out as he caught sight of her coming out of the alley. A troop of police were investigating Nabano's murder, and they quickly ran to her aid.

"Don't move!" Panaca drew a blaster as he caught sight of Strike. "Has he harmed you, Milady?" he asked as his gaze switched from Strike to Padme.

"No, I'm all right," Padme said hurriedly as she went to her guard's side. "Thank you Strike, I will be fine now."

Strike shrugged and flung the unconscious assasin to the ground before starting to walk away.

"Stalin!" One of the police yelled unexpectadly as he caught sight of the raven haired man.

Padme looked over in surprise as her rescuer stopped and grinned, giving a lighthearted salute to the officer.

"You know this man?" Panaca asked in surprise.

The officer grinned and adressed Padme. "Your majesty, allow me to introduce you to Coruscant's greatest ally! Laurence Stalin has managed to break up more criminal organizations than any of our police force have seen in years!"

"He's a police officer?" Panaca asked.

The officer shook his head. "Nope, he's even better. He's a solo worker. I don't know how he does it, but he can do more in one night than we can accomplish in a year. He doesn't have anything to do with the police force really, he just turns in the criminals once he's done tearing the place apart."

Surprised at the young man's importance to the police department, Padme took on her best royal pose and adressed him. "It appears I have a lot to thank you for, Laurence Stalin," she said formally. "Naboo as well as Coruscant is in your debt. If you are ever in need of aid, please feel free to come to us."

Laurence gave a crooked grin at her words, knowing they were mostly formality and would not likely ever come to pass. Then he grew serious as an idea came into his head.

Padme stared in confusion for a moment as he formed a series of hand signals, then she caught on. He was speaking in Coruscant Basic sign language. Watching his flying fingers and feeling grateful to her linguistic teacher who had made her study the language, she finally caught the words he spelled out.

"You need a job?" she asked in surprise.

Laurence grinned, his white teeth flashing. _"Coruscant underlevels are fine, but I'm getting tired of playing detective,"_ he spelled out.

Padme looked to Panaca, who shifted uncomfortably. "What can you do?" the guard finally asked.

_"I'm good at building and repairing ships,"_ Laurence responded immediately.

Panaca's eyes narrowed. He didn't want to trust this boy who had just appeared out of nowhere, even if he had come in time to save the queen.

Padme looked to the police force for advice.

The officer who had recognized Laurence grinned. "He can build ships, alright. I remember he re-assembled some sort of speeder in less than ten minutes! Fastest speeder I'd ever seen, for the half hour it lasted at least."

"He'd make you a good bodyguard, ma'am," one of the officers muttered.

Padme considered the option and quickly dismissed it for the time being. She agreed that he was probably correct, but her guards were picked carefully, and only when she fully knew she could trust Laurence would she make that kind of a decision.

"Very well then," she said. "We will give you a temporary job on Naboo and see how you do. If you do well we will give you a permanent place there."

Laurence bowed deeply. _"You are most gracious, Milady,"_ he spelled out.

Padme grinned tightly. Formal protocol tended to get on her nerves. "Report to Panaca two weeks from now. I'm afraid I will have too many important political affairs to deal with that will prevent me from discussing things further, but you may at least return with us to Naboo."

Laurence bowed again then left without waiting for further instructions.

"Eh, he's always like that," the young officer excused. "Can't get him to stick around for anything."

Padme nodded as she watched the young man leave. She wondered if she had made the right decision. Either way, she was positive of one thing: she had either hired one of the most deadly assasins she would ever see, or she had taken in the a loyal and trustworthy young man that she would always feel could protect her.

...

As Anakin surveyed his apartment that night, he thought about what had just happened that morning. Soon he would be working for the queen - for Padme! He had never dreamed this could happen.

Anakin had almost spoken to her, but something had held him back, as though the Force was screaming a warning. He had reverted to sign language instead, and was relieved that Padme understood.

Anakin smiled as he remembered her dirt smeared face in the alley, and her proud stance depite the tramatic event. She was just as beautiful as he remembered.

_What would Obi-Wan think now,_ Anakin wondered as he remembered his enchantment with the queen's smile. Anakin grinned. Obi-Wan would probably be lecturing him right now on the dangers of attachments.

How strange it was for Anakin to realize that once the temple had been his whole reason for living. Now he could barely remember what it was like to feel a lightsaber in his hand, to experience the force flowing around him as he moved.

Nowadays Anakin didn't remove the force inhibitor around his wrist even when podracing, trusting on skill alone to make it to the end of the race. Anakin smiled and shook his head. If he were to come to the temple now the council would kick him out for his betrayal to the order and his habit of acting out on his emotions.

Anakin was still puzzled though that the Jedi had never searched for him. He had expected that Obi-Wan would at least try and locate his padawan, but it appeared that the Jedi cared no more about him than the Sith had implied.

Either way, Anakin knew deep inside that if he had stayed at the temple, he would have eventually regretted it.

Earlier he had contacted his mother and told her of his decision to work on Naboo.

"That's wonderful, Ani!" she had cried, her relief evident.

Anakin had smiled, understanding her fear for his life as he policed the Coruscant underlevels. She hated it whenever he went down there, but it wasn't like Tatooine, when she could order him to stay home.

They had talked about a few other things; Shmi's life on the farm, Owen's interest in a girl he had met in the city, and other bits of news from Tatooine.

"You will come and see us soon, won't you?" Shmi had asked hopefully at the end. Anakin's last visit had been four months ago, far too long a time for a worried mother.

Anakin had promised to come as soon as he could, though he wasn't exactly sure when that would be.

Then they had said their goodbyes and cut off the connection.

Now Anakin looked around again as he studied his sparse belongings in the room. There wasn't much to pack. Now that he wasn't fighting the Coruscant criminal life, what in the world was he going to do for the next two weeks?

"I am going to die of boredom," he muttered with a glare.

**...**

**Three chapters to help you figure out where the story is going. :) Please review, because I might not write more for a while otherwise.**


	4. Twi'leks and Rainy Days

** Important Notice: I will not adding new chapters until late January. I'm taking a break from the computer, but hopefully I'll be able to start right back up again soon. Thanks for all the support from my reviewers! :)**

**...**

The two weeks passed rather slowly for Anakin. He spent half the time gambling against "unbeatable" crime lords and the rest of the time reading up on Naboo's latest political news. If he was going to be working for Padme, he needed to know of any threats she was up against.

Anakin and Panaca had met several times over the two week period to discuss protocol and requirements for working in the Queen's service. Panaca obviously distrusted him, (though for good reason), and he went into great detail explaining _exactly _how "Laurence" was expected to act, work, and behave on Naboo. Sadly these rules meant that one needed strict permission from a higher athority if their pasttimes included gambling, brawling, and leaving the premices for a random podrace or swoop diving competition.

Anakin smiled and shook his head as he remembered the emphasis Panaca placed on each individual rule and law he expected the boy to follow. It was as though he expected Anakin to try and decimate the palace the minute he landed on Naboo.

At the heart of the matter though was the captain's concern for the life of his Queen. Despite the fact that Padme might be leaving her throne to another successor in a year, Panaca and the people of Naboo would give anything, even their own lives, to ensure her safety.

Anakin leaned back and adjusted a few knobs on the control panal, earning a glare from the ship's navigator. Panaca had decided he should start his job early by learning the makings of one of the Naboo cruisers, in this case the Queen's.

The navigator/captain of the ship was most displeased with this turn of events, especially when "Laurence" displayed more knowledge about the vessel than he had realized there to exist. The kid didn't even have to say anything. He just started adjusting controls, pointing to objects, and somehow nonverbally explaining every nook and cranny of the engineering room and cockpit.

The navigator sent another dark look in Laurence's direction as the kid leaned back in his chair, obviously at perfect ease with being placed in such a critical position as driving Queen Amidala's own star cruiser. Didn't the boy realize how serious the situation was? The lives of everyone on the ship depended on how well one could steer the vessel in an intense situation, and the kid was just relaxing with that infuriatingly calm look on his face.

"Just one flight," the navigator muttered to himself. "Put up with it for one flight, and then he's gone." He hoped he was correct in that assumption.

Anakin grinned at the navigator's obvious discomfort. Apparently he didn't know of Anakin's skill with a podracer. Anakin had always claimed he could fly any vessel in the galaxy, and for him Naboo cruisers were a piece of cake.

"We're approaching Naboo's atmosphere," the navigator announced. Anakin could practically taste the relief emmulating from the agitated man.

Grinning widely, he set in a sequence for landing controls before the navigator could even start his own computations.

"Why you little - " the navigator started to vent his anger, then thought better of it. No one got into the Queen's own service by shouting at young upstarts, and he had learned from past mistakes how to control his temper.

Needless to say he was overjoyed when the ship landed safely and Laurence dashed away.

"So help me I'm going to officially retire before I let that kid on my ship again," he muttered as he slammed his gloves onto the computer panel and stomped off.

Anakin took a deep breath of the fresh air and gasped softly in pleasant surprise at what he saw. While on Coruscant it was a rare occasion to find a wooded park, Naboo was covered in forests, grassy meadows, and flocks of various birds and animals. The waterfront sparkled in the distance, reminding Anakin of the joy he had felt as a young boy the when he saw such a large body of water for the first time. Despite having traveled to various planets over the course of his Padawan life, Naboo would always hold a special place in his memories.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Padme asked as she came up beside him. "I always love to return here. It's so... peaceful."

Anakin nodded, almost speaking but stopping himself in time.

As Queen however, Padme couldn't afford to spend all day admiring the scenery. Suddenly all business, she gave out orders to her handmaidens and guards as she walked brisquely to the palace.

"Sabe, Rabe, see to it that my things are unpacked. Gui-lano, inform the advisors that I wish to speak with them. Kapana, I need Nabano's family informed of his death."

She turned to Anakin. "Laurence, go with Captain Panaca. He will introduce you to Jilzan Tai-bika, who is in charge of the ship building and repairs." She turned away again, Laurence temporarily forgotten as she continued to issue orders. "Noi-baki, see to it that..."

Captain Panaca waved a hand for Anakin to follow him as he headed down several flights of stairs towards an enormous building. Anakin's eyes widened as they entered.

Ships, cruisers, and speeders of every size, color, and model stood in neat lines across the room. There must have been hundreds of space vessels, ranging from newly crafted ships to semi-used ones to sorry wrecks worthy of only scrap metal.

"Is Jilzan here?" Panaca asked one of the workers.

The man indicated towards the far right side of the warehouse. "He's inspecting a new battleship that just came in," he explained. "You should find him over in that direction."

Panaca nodded shortly and led the way towards a tall Twi'lek with green pigmentation.

"No, no, no, the short fuses go to the interplastic connection, and the explosive controls connect with the closbetory panel!" the Twi'lek shouted to a worker as he grabbed his lekku in horror. "No, you just - argh - just - oh, get out of my way!" A none-too-gentle shove sent the worker sprawling as the Twi'lek grabbed the wires and set them in their proper places.

"Now you see?" he berated the poor hapless assistant. "It's all rather easy if you simply _look_ at the controls in the first place! How do you expect to - "

"Excuse me, Jilzan," Panaca interrupted politely as he waited in vain for the Twi'lek to acknowledge them.

"Hm? Oh, Captain! Good to see you here," Jilzan said enthusiastically as he shot a glare at the employee he had been lecturing. "I trust the ships are all to your satisfaction?"

Panaca smiled. "Actually, I haven't come here for an inspection." He waved for Anakin to come forward. "The kid says he's good at building ships, and Queen Amidala has requested you to find him a job here."

Jilzan's eyes narrowed and his leku twitched in irritation. "I suppose we could find him something...adequate," he said thinly, not appreciating the possibility of an inexperienced brat touching his cruisers.

Panaca nodded. "Good," he said. "I'll return later to check on his progress." He left immediately, having other pressing duties to attend to.

Jilzan let out a hiss of anger, seething at the Queen's uncourteous and ill-planned decision of putting a new employee in _his_ shipyard. Jilzan hated anyone touching his ships, and the only reason he had help in the first place was because he couldn't deal with a 1,000 vessels-a-month quota on his own.

The kid smiled pleasantly at him, but Jilzan was not amused. "What's you name, boy? And be quick about it! I've got a lot to do and I don't have time to stand around for lengthy epxlanations."

The kid went into a flurry of hand motions. Jilza growled and threw his hands in the air. Of all the street urchins the kind-hearted Queen would put in his warehouse, she _had _to pick a mute one!

"Here!" he said, snatching a datapad from one of his employees and thrusting it at the boy.

Anakin quickly scribbled his name and handed it back to the touchy Twi'lek. Jilzan examined it with a scowl and handed it back to the employee it belonged to.

"Get him a new one," he ordered as he glared at Laurence, who was still smiling politely.

Jilzan hated happy people. He never considered himself to be having a good day unless it was pouring down rain and the streets were filled with miserable people and crummy traffic. Cheerful employees were the worst of his nightmares, especially the younger ones who always seemed to be on a coffee binge.

Grabbing the hastily brought datapad, Jilzan shoved it into Laurence's hands and stalked down the lines of cruisers.

"Oh, by the way, you're fired," he told the worker he had been lecturing before Panaca's untimely interruption. Jilzan loved to fire people. As the master ship builder he managed to get away with it, provided he rehired everyone by the end of the month before complaints rolled in. He loved to watch his workers' terror stricken faces as he neared their workstation, his eyes searching for the smallest mistake or paint scratch. Employees snapped to attention whenever he passed by, and Naboo's hospital staff had often noticed that most of the patients with anxiety related sicknesses came from Jilzan's employment line.

"Ah-hah!" Jilzan shouted enthusiastically as he spied a hunk of blackened metal in the scrap heap. Once it had been a handsome cruiser, but those days were long since over.

"Repair that," Jilzan told Laurence snidely, "And I _might_ hire you after all."

Of course the boy would find it absolutely impossible, and if everything went right Laurence would leave of his own accord, and Jilzan would have nothing to blame for it. Oh, yes, Jilzan thought as he rubbed his hands together gleefully. This would be all too easy.

Anakin stared at the large heap of twisted scrap metal as the Twi'lek practically danced away. It didn't need to be more obvious that Jilzan was trying to get rid of him. Anakin had repaired ships before but this...

Anakin sighed and began a review of the destruction. He might as well be building a new ship for all that was left. The controls were melted, the hyperdrive distentigrated, and the hull blackened and crisped. The wheels started turning in Anakin's brain as he looked around though. There were plenty of old parts that could be welded together, and some of the supposedly ruined engine pieces could be easily repaired.

Anakin grinned as the pieces began to fall into place in his mind. So Jilzan wanted him to repair this thing, huh? Well he'd give the shipmaster the surprise of his life.

..

Many of the employees had watched sympathetically as Jilzan assigned the newest worker to the destructed cruiser, knowing full well the boy wouldn't make it to the end of the day's shift. Now they looked on in wonder as Laurence began working.

The enterior of the ship's hull was torn out, some pieces saved for further use and the rest discarded in the junk pile. Wires were reconnected, metal slabs welded together and connected to the ship, and computer systems put together from who knew what miscellaneous controls.

Six hours later Laurence was still working, not even having taken a break for lunch. More and more workers looked on as the kid cut out new glass for the windshields and rebuilt parts of the outer hull of the ship. By the time the day was out the hunk of scrap metal had transformed into the basic skeleton of an everyday star cruiser.

The employees were reluctant to leave, and Anakin was just as loathed to abandon the ship. He was exhausted however, and he admitted any further work would have to wait until morning. At least Jilzan hadn't given him the pink slip in a manner of speaking.

Afterwards Panaca had shown Anakin his new quarters, which were complete with furniture and a new wardrobe that contained both work, formal, and everyday clothing (mainly in black Anakin was pleased to notice).

Late that night Anakin sat by the window and stared out into the silent moonlit world. The trees were cloaked in shadow, the beautiful flowers hiding from the darkness. Yet even then something in the planet called out to him, as though this were truly his "home" now.

Anakin realized though that with his new place in the Queen's court, he had finally left the identity of "Anakin" behind forever. He truly was Laurence now, an uncannily talented kid who never spoke a word and yet devoted his whole life to the Queen's service. What would he be like years from now if this continued? Anakin wondered if Obi-Wan would even recognize him. He was bound to meet up with his master eventually if Padme required Jedi assistance. And Padme... would she ever recognize him as the young slave she met on Tatooine? Would she ever look past the boy and see the man Anakin was becoming?

These thoughts running through his mind, Anakin leaned his head back and drifted off, his dreams filled with memories of the temple and a sixteen year old boy with blond hair and a lightsaber.

...

"I'm seriously going to fire that kid before the day is done," Jilzan muttered to Talko, one of the captains, as he watched Laurence begin spraying a coat of white paint onto the cruiser he had started repairing three weeks before.

"You've been saying that every day since he got here," Talko replied with a smirk.

Laurence had indeed far exceeded the expectations of the Panaca and the palace staff. In twenty days of almost non-stop labor he had transformed the twisted remains of a cruiser into a sleek vessel, complete with a working engine, shields, and weapons. The only things that remained were the paint job and the inside of the completed vessel.

Much as Jilzan held a grudge against Laurence, he was smart enough not to neglect his duty as manager and readily supplied the neccessary equipment required for the ships enterior. Comfortable seats for the cockpit and passengers were installed, storage compartments were added, the walls were painted, and finally at the end of the twenty-fourth day Laurence proudly stepped back and allowed Jilzan to inspect the finished star cruiser.

Panaca had stopped by, as requested by the Queen, to check on Stalin's progress. He was astounded at the boy's talent. To create a starship from scrap is no small feat, and Panaca's admiration grew as Laurence pointed out each new gadget or hidden compartment. Stalin seemed to have a good idea of how dangerous it was in times of war for even Naboo's less prominent citizens. He had added at least ten hidden weapon stores in different locations, a hideaway underneath the floorboards, and even a small cloaking device.

Jilzan stammered and tugged on his lekka as he looked around. Then he shrugged helplessly and walked out of the ship. Obviously he wasn't about to get rid of the boy now, but as he watched Panaca's amazement he suddenly realized he could ask for no greater assistant than that cocky, self-assured mute that Queen Amidala had forced him to hire.

Cackling and rubbing his hands together, Jilzan pictured fleets of warships, cruisers, and speeders on the assembly lines. Buyers would spend all night bartering with him over one of the boy's splendid ships, and he would (humbly of course), accept their overwhelming praise and heighten the price of the ship to ten times its market worth.

Oh, yes, Jilzan had done it this time. Under his kind hearted tutilage he had created a master builder out of a seventeen year old street rat. His name would be whispered of in awe by every leader and general, and of course, in time he might even give a small pittance to the boy who started his fame.

Whistling an off-key tune and skipping towards his office, Jilzan's mide conjured up millions of credit chips and meetings with the kings and queens of planets all across the galaxy.

His workers scratched their heads and trembled slightly at Jilzan's strangely cheery mood. Either someone had dropped an bomb on his neighbor's apartment or he was gleefully inventing new ways to get them all fired. Either way, every employee figured they'd be out of a job before the day was over.

...

"That boy is a genius," Panaca reported to Padme some weeks later. "I've never seen anyone so capable with machinery. He's taken apart the blueprints of nearly every single model Jilzan has and created them into amazing vessels. Jilzan says he can't keep enough ships in stock, they're selling so fast."

"Are they really that excellent?" Padme asked in surprise. Laurence had said he was good at building ships. But if he was this talented, why had he needed Naboo to find him a job? It didn't make sense.

Panaca nodded. "According to Jilzan's report his ships are faster, more durable, and better capable of escaping an attack than anything we've been able to produce. He's put Laurence in charge of the entire design department, though he says it's his," here he cleared his throat in sarcasm, "'fatherly guidance' that has helped Laurence get this far in the first place."

Padme giggled softly, knowing the grumpy ship builder's haughty and demeaning attitude all too well. "Tell him we are amazed at his newfound ability to create a master builder in a few short months," she told Panaca. "Perhaps if he can use his 'fatherly guidance' with all his crew, he will find he has less incompetence to add to his ever growing complaint list."

Panaca smiled slightly at the thought of Jilzan's face as he opened and shut his mouth in an attempt to salvage his good repute.

"Also," Padme added, "Make sure that Jilzan knows Laurence is allowed free reign of the workhouse. I'm interested to know what else he is capable of."

Panaca gave a short nod and bowed at the waist before leaving.

...

Jilzan of course nearly tore his lekku out after he heard Panaca's message, but he knew that nothing could really be done. He would just have to be nicer to his employees.

Right. This should be easy.

Jilzan made a face and walked about the ship hangar, wishing a 'good morning' to all his now very worried employees. He sauntered over to where one of the worker's was repairing an oil valve. "You are doing a... sp-sple - erm, a most... adequate job," he said, his lips firmly disobeying any orders to formulate a compliment.

"Um, is that a good thing?" the hapless employee asked just before he accidently squeezed the valve to hard and squirted black goo all over Jilzan's face.

The Twi'lek squeezed his eyes tight shut and slowly wiped the muck off his green features.

"No!" Jilzan answered, his plans of being nice being thrown directly out the window. "In fact, that's the worst job I've ever seen in my life! You're fired! And don't expect to come back unless out of my great mercy I decide to rehire you sometime in the next hundred years! Now pick up your filthy rag and go home!"

Muttering under his breath about the incompetence of his pathetic crew, Jilzan stomped back to his office and slammed the door behind him.

Back in the workroom, his employees shared a sigh of relief. If Jilzan was attempting to be chivalrous, the whole world was doomed. As long as he was shouting at them though, everyone figured their future was in pretty good hands.

...

Grinning as he heard Jilzan's shouts at the fifth employee he had fired that day, Anakin adjusted his goggles and continued welding the last piece to the outer hull of the ship. He had been working on it for five months now, ever since Jilzan had grudgingly told him that Padme had granted him the permission to build whatever he wanted in the warehouse. This ship would be Anakin's masterpiece, and hopefully, his own personal star cruiser.

The design Anakin created resembled Naboo cruiser, following the style of Padme's ship when he first met her on Tatooine. The hull was designed to change shape to a point, allowing it to lenghten or diminish in size depending on the number of passengers, as well as set the seats back and flatten out slightly for evasive maneuvers through tight spaces.

A retractable dejarik table was installed for war against boredom during long trips, as well as a small refrigerator and a holo television. Over two hundred hidden weapon compartments were scattered across the small ship, and ten retractable gun turrents would provide extra outter defense. Besides the turrents, Anakin had installed high power torpedo guns at the front, as well as a powerful shield. Thousands of buttons and switches activated various parts of the ship, from compartments to lighting to extra miscellaneous controls.

Stirring a large vat of black paint, Anakin mulled over the complications of color choice. He wondered if he should add light blue or bright green designs. He could do red, but he dismissed idea. Anakin didn't really care for red as much. Of course yellow might work. If Obi-Wan were here he would be telling Anakin he was trying to attract attention to himself in battle, and perhaps he was correct. Either way, Anakin liked the color.

He was still trying to make a decision when Panaca walked over.

"Queen Amidala wishes to speak with you," the captain informed him. His tone indicated that nothing was wrong, but Anakin was not expected to delay.

Anakin nodded and followed Panaca to the palace.

He immediately felt self-conscious as he entered. The pristine decor and intriquite tapestries of the palace made his oil stained work clothes give him the appearence of... well, a mechanic. An extremely dirty one for that matter. Padme hadn't given him any time to change though, so Anakin figured any dirt he smeared onto the carpet would not be his fault. He was still uncomfortable however.

As they entered the almost empty throne room Anakin caught sight of Padme standing next to the window. She was wearing the red and black robe that signified her position as queen, but her face was unpainted and her hair down aside from two strands that had been drawn from the front and tied behind her head. She looked preoccupied, and Anakin sensed she had something very important on her mind.

"My lady," Panaca said respectfully as he bowed and left the room.

Anakin gave a stiff bow of his own as Padme turned to him. "Laurence," she said with a slight smile. "Thank you for coming so quickly."

Anakin smiled softly. He had learned over the past nine months to express much of what he needed to say with looks and gestures, rather than using sign language all the time.

"I hear you're doing very well in the ship hangars," Padme said, using light conversation to bring around the main issue.

Anakin shrugged, as though to deny any skill in that area.

Padme smiled and shook her head. "You don't need to be so modest, Laurence. I've been on several of your ships, and so I know for myself what amazing vessels they can be."

Anakin grinned at her praise. Then his face turned serious. _Go on,_ his eyes seemed to say.

Padme sighed as she took a seat next to the window. "The elections for the next queen will be in three months, Laurence. You won't have to worry about losing your job, I'll see to that, but..." She didn't add the last part - she would miss him.

He sat down, his eyes filled with concern at her unhappiness. Padme smiled. Laurence always seemed to be able to discern her deepest feelings. Suddenly an idea hit her. Perhaps...

"Laurence," she said, hope filling her voice. "Are you as good a pilot as you are an engineer?"

For once he didn't act modest as he grinned enthusiastically. Padme's eyes sparkled.

"Laurence," she said again, her thoughts racing. "If I offered you a job as a pilot would you do it?"

He stopped to consider, shrugging his shoulders. _"What kind of job?"_ his fingers spelled out.

"I want you to drive my ship," Padme said in a rush. She flushed at her boldness, then stood up abruptly as the Queen of Naboo took over.

"Laurence, if you can drive a ship as well as you can build it, then I would be honored for you to be one of my pilots," she said with all the formality she could muster.

Laurence stood and regarded her for a moment, then gave a short nod. Padme sighed in relief. She would have him by her side for a little longer at least.

_"Will I still be allowed to work in the ship warehouse?" _Laurence spelled out, looking more like a worried child at the thought.

Padme laughed. "Of course," she agreed. "Whenever you're off duty you have my full permission to go there."

Laurence grinned in obvious relief. _"When do I start?"_

"As soon as - " Padme's voice was cut off in astonishment as Laurence's eyes widened and he grabbed her around the waist. She gasped as he swung her around faster than she could think, practically throwing her behind himself as he drew a blaster and fired three shots in quick succession towards the ceiling.

There was a shout of rage as an armored Mon Calamarian leapt down towards them, a vibroblade swinging in his grasp. Padme reached behind her and hit an emergency signal, then dashed behind a pillar and aimed her blaster at the assasin. Laurence managed to get a kick past the Mon Calamarian's defense, but without his durusteel pole he was more engaged in ducking and rolling to avoid the vibroblade swinging at his head. Seeing her opportunity, Padme was able to shoot the assasin in the opening in his arm guard, giving Laurence the opportunity to lash a boot out and kick the Mon Calamarian in the head. The creature's now caved in helmet took most of the damage, and Laurence was now in control as he grabbed the assasin's arm, stood upside down momentarily on his hands, and did a mid air split. One foot effectively kicked the vibroblade from the Mon Calamarian's hand, and the other aimed a last blow at the assasin's head, knocking him out if not outright killing him. The whole fight had taken place in less than three minutes.

Padme ran out immediately, her blaster trained on the figure on the floor. Laurence scowled at her for leaving the shelter of the pillar, but she ignored him.

"Are you all right?" she asked as security burst in.

"Milady!" an officer cried as he caught sight of the fallen Mon Calamarian. "Have you been harmed at all?"

"I'm fine," Padme reassured them as they commenced to search the throne room for other assasins.

Laurence walked over to the floor next to the window and carefully scooped up a small dart buried in the floor. He raised an eyebrow at Padme and showed it to her.

Padme paled as she realized how close it had come to killing her. "You moved me in time?" she asked, reffering to his unexpected reaction when the assasin first appeared.

He nodded slightly, his eyes serious.

"Captain Tel-caz," Padme called to the security guard, hoping no tremor showed in her voice from her body's reaction to the situation.

"Yes, my lady?" The guard turned to her, his gaze dark with fury at the attempt on the young queen's life.

"Laurence saved my life," Padme stated, her brown eyes flashing. She remembered the words of the Coruscant police.

_"He'd make an excellent bodyguard, ma'am."_

At the time, she had dismissed the idea, having no knowledge of Laurence's abilities or whether or not he could be trusted. This was the second time he had saved her life though. If she had any doubts before of his loyalty to her, they were now abolished.

"See to it that Laurence is made one of my personal guards," Padme ordered. "It would be a waste of his talents to leave him in the ship yards."

Laurence swung his head up from his examination of the assasin to look at her, shock, bewilderment, and thrill mixing in his features.

Padme continued. "He already has a great deal of experience, and I have had recomendations from the Coruscant police force about his skill. Twice now he has saved my life from assasins. I would trust him to do it again if necessary."

Laurence watched her, wonder filling his eyes at her praise.

Tel-caz looked dubiously at Padme, but it was not his place to question her orders. "As you wish, my Queen," he answered.

Anakin couldn't believe what had just happened. A personal guard for the queen? Since when did the fates look upon him so kindly?

He walked in a daze as Tel-caz led him to a large padded room where new recruits were trained.

Anakin only snapped out of his thoughts when Tel-caz handed him a blaster and turned on the holographic program that would test his skills by setting him against numerous species, each with their own special abilities and weapons.

The program started out easy enough, setting up a few holographic battle droids which Anakin easily shot down. It heightened the difficulty level as the computer assessed Anakin's skills and increased the strength and number of the opponents. There was a variety of weapons besides the blaster available for Anakin's use, and he began to truly enjoy himself as he danced around the enemy, twirling a vibroblade and replaying his old life in the underlevels of Coruscant.

At last Tel-caz turned off the computer program. Anakin stood in the middle of the room and waited for the security guard's decision.

"It doesn't look like this one will be needing any further training, eh boys?" Tel-caz adressed the other guards in the room who had stopped by to watch. There was a chorus of agreement, bringing a grin to Anakin's face.

"I'll give you a brief overview of what we expect from our security force," Tel-caz said as he led Anakin to his the new quarters he would occupy in the palace. "Our duty is to protect the Queen. Any breach of that duty will result in you being removed from the security force permanently. You will accompany the Queen whenever your assistance is requested. Remember that her life is in your hands. The entire government rests on your ability to protect her."

Anakin nodded. He understood the gravity of the situation.

"The rules around here are pretty simple," Tel-caz continued. "You're a member of the Queen's guard. That means no drinking on duty, no disappearing without permission, no slacking off while on duty, no..." He tallied off a long list of do's and don'ts, finally finishing with, "Basically, you do absulutely nothing that could risk the Queen's life or harm her reputation." He gave Anakin a pointed glare. Tel-caz gave this lecture to every new guard in training, but even then a couple always managed to turn sour.

Laurence on the other seemed to be more trustworthy, even though he was relatively unknown among the security force. Tel-caz had never seen him in action and the boy hadn't even had a single day of training in the Naboo security forces, yet already he had earned the Queen's infinite trust. Either Laurence was no one to be underestimated or the kid was extremely lucky.

Tel-caz shook his head. He didn't know what had come upon Queen Amidala to suddenly hire someone into the security force like that, but he hoped she hadn't made a mistake. Either way, he would keep a sharp eye on Laurence.

...

Anakin shook his head as he surveyed his new quarters. In one year he had moved from a simple apartment on Coruscant to slightly more extravagant quarters on Naboo, and now he found himself in a luxuriant room in the palace of Queen Amidala herself!

Tel-caz had explained to him that the most important of security guards stayed in the palace to be ready whenever the Queen needed aid. Anakin was expected to be ready in a moments notice for whatever danger might present itself.

Tommorrow his training in security would begin - one could not just step out of the ship hangars and expect to guard the Queen's life immediately. Anakin had caught Tel-caz muttering that it probably wouldn't take long for him to finish the courses though. He hoped not. Anakin hated studying rules and regulations when he could be doing something more active with his life.

Until the next day though, Anakin was left to himself. He slowly walked around the room, running a hand through his freshly dyed hair uncomfortably as he surveyed the extravagant carpet, impeccably whitewashed walls, and deep blue curtains and bedspreads. It was supposed to be an example of the more "simple" quarters in the palace, but to anyone used to a more standard way of life, it was like entering a wealthy mansion.

Anakin groaned and rubbed his eyes. It was going to take him a while to get used to this.

Going to the closet next, Anakin took a look at his expected dress code. Once again his uniforms had been pre-ordered before he even had a chance to start his job. The colors were like Panaca's outfit; a long blue tunic with a brown leather vest to wear over it, dark navy trousers, black boots, leather gauntlets, and a leather cap with a flap at the back to provide protection for the neck. Anakin was rather relieved by the selection; he had expected the drab oranges and browns worn by a great deal of Naboo's security force. The colors hurt his eyes and he imagined looked absolutely terrible on him.

Anakin shook his head. First he had been a Jedi, then a runaway who took on the black market dealers of Coruscant, then an engineer, he had been offered the job of a pilot, and now he had wound up as a security guard in Padme's service! Anakin smiled and remembered his step brother Owen's musings about his career choices; he was positive that Anakin was bound and determined to get himself killed by the age of twenty-five. Trying the cap on, Anakin began to feel Owen was pretty correct. But that was the kind of life the pilot of a podracer led; a path filled with daring and adventure.

Wrinkling his nose at the clothing material, Anakin considered going to Padme for a different uniform sometime. It looked great, but navy just wasn't his color choice, especially after wearing black for two years.

All that put aside however, Anakin knew the most important thing to concentrate on would be on passing the training courses for the security force. He might have gained the trust of Padme and Panaca, but there was still protocol to consider. He would have to take the same tests as every single officer.

Sighing at the thought of the long wait, Anakin placed the security cap back in the closet and left to do some exploring. Security regulations or not, his curiousity would have to be satiated.

...

**This might be the last update until the end of January. Sorry for the long wait, but it will give you something to look forward to. :) Let me know if there's anything you're confused about and I'll try and clear it up in the next chapter.**

** As to the review from ****LianneZ4; Thanks for your review. I still have a bit to work out with the Anakin-clone thingy, and I might edit it a little later on. I took the memory idea from a fanfiction I read once. I think you're right - it does seem a little complicated to brainwash the clone with all of Anakin's memories, but I didn't really want the clone to have his own identity becuase the plot involves him acting like the Anakin Skywalker in the original films. If anyone has any advice in this particular area, let me know. :)**

** Thank you also to all my reviewers - this chapter wouldn't have been written for a while without the encouragement. :)**


	5. Elections and Departures

** This is one of the more angsty chapters (I was listening to "My December" by Linkin Park) that shows a bit more of Anakin's life as a palace guard. The timeline is moving a little fast, but it will slow down once I get to the Attack of the Clones section.**

**...**

Anakin stared ahead as the sun beams played out on the city life. It had been two months since Padme's offer for him to join her security force. Two months of grueling training and late nights studying Naboo protocol. All had paid out in the end when he was finally presented his official uniform of a Naboo security guard. Padme thought he looked quite handsom in it, but with each passing day Anakin could feel more and more of his past slipping through his fingers.

From his perch on the roof of the senate building on Coruscant he could see for miles. The drawing of twilight drew the last of the sunlight to the more prominent of the Coruscant structures, but none were struck with such radiance as the Jedi Temple.

Anakin hugged his knees to his chest and rested his chin as his gaze stayed fixed on the building. Pangs of homesickness came in waves as he reminisced the time he spent there.

Tru and himself, laughing at another one of Darra's silly jokes. Obi-Wan training him to use a lightsaber. Siri, of all people, wearing a dress for a mission instead of her usual Jedi robes. Joking with Darra about Master Yoda's backward talk. Missions with Obi-Wan, some good, some harsh. Kind Master Yaddle and the sweets she would slip into his pocket when he was a young padawan in training.

Yaddle's death. Sora's disapointment in his display of anger when he battled Ferus. Tru's cold eyes. Obi-Wan's stony silence on Andara when all Anakin wanted was for his master to be proud of him. Darra's limp form when she was shot in the leg on Radnor.

_"Stay with me until I'm asleep. It's lonely down here..."_

The memories crashing down on him were too much to handle. Anakin put his head down on his knees and wept.

Slowly the sun disapeared behind the Jedi Temple, cloaking it in the shadow.

...

"Luitenant Stalin."

Anakin turned at the voice. He was off duty for the next hour, and had been heading off to find some dinner when Captain Lun had called for him.

Anakin saluted sharply and the captain nodded in response.

"I'm afraid you're going to be needed during off duty times for a while," Captain Lun informed him in an all business tone. "The election for the new queen will be held three weeks from now, and we will need all personnel available for the Queen's protection. I don't think I need to stress how easy it is for someone to cause the elections to begin a few weeks early due to a _tragic accident_."

Anakin nodded his understanding. He knew only too well that although Naboo was a relatively peaceful planet, there were still rebellious citizens and greedy offworlders who would try and create chaos just before the election so their own preferred rulers could take the throne.

"You will still continue in shifts as usual," Captain Lun continued, "But I'm afraid all liesure time will have to be forgotten for a while." He smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, it won't last long. A few weeks after the new queen has been elected things will settle down. Until then however I need everyone ready for any possible attempts on the queen's life."

Anakin nodded again.

"Good," Captain Lun said curtly. "You're next shift will start in half an hour. See to it that Captain Panaca gives you your new schedule. Dismissed, Liutenant."

Anakin saluted and strode on towards the palace kitchens. He'd grab a quick bite to eat and then report to Captain Panaca.

As he was passing two of the queen's handmaidens he heard a slight giggle escape from one of them. Turning around, Anakin regarded them with a bemused expression. Rabe and Sabe blushed furiously and looked down with demure faces. Grinning and shaking his head, Anakin continued on.

This wasn't the first time ladies had swooned over him. Anakin had come to realize two months ago that women found security guards in uniform to be quite attractive, and apparently they had officially termed "Laurence" to be quite the stud.

He wasn't sure if Padme shared those feelings, but regardless of the matter he still tried to gain her attention. Sometimes he would sit there for hours while Padme poured out her heart over the burden she bore as Naboo's queen. Once he had even relieved Rabe of the queen's lunch tray and took it to Padme himself, adding a budding pink rose he had picked earlier for a more delicate touch. He wasn't sure if she ever noticed these little favors, but Anakin continued to let her know in small ways of his affections for her.

After a hasty dinner Anakin ran back to the palace, ignoring the fact that it was hardly considered proper behavior to be racing back and forth from one's duties.

The others working in the palace had gotten used to Laurence's eccentric personality by now. At one moment he could be totally serious, and the next he would be grinning like a school boy. Laurence was the only security guard who could get away with running up and down the halls during an important off-world senator's meditation hours, stealing sweets from the refreshments set out for negotiation groups, slipping down the stairs in a most ungraceful manner only to scramble up and start racing through the palace again, bursting into infectious giggles at the most inopportune times, flying his personal speeder at seventy mph in a thirty mph space lane, podracing on his off duty hours, silently mimicking bored sounding senators behind their backs (much to Padme's amusement), and "accidently" tripping a wire that drenched Jilzan in ship oil. By the time that was all done, Laurence topped it all off by acting like the perfect model security guard with a look of seriousness that could rival a Jedi.

Indeed, as mature as the Liutenant seemed for his eighteen years, he still acted like a boy when he felt like it. Perhaps it was this quality that made him such a favorite to the queen. He never failed in making her laugh.

Anakin dashed up the stairs two at a time and soon stood in front of Captain Panaca, panting slightly and grinning from ear to ear. Panaca rolled his eyes in false annoyance at the boy's exhubrence and proceeded to give him the new schedule.

As it turned out, things were not quite as serious as Captain Lun had implied. Security guards would be expected to work three shifts instead of two, and the risks they faces would indeed be more present than before, but for the most part it was simply a routine that had continued since the Naboo government came into existence.

A little while later, Anakin walked through the extensive palace gardens, whistling a Tatooine jig he had heard once when he was younger. Darkness had fallen by now, and several fireflies began glowing softly, adding their own special touch to the night magic. The flowers Padme took such joy in admiring were hidden away in the shadows, but their sweet fragrence still filled the air.

Sighing in contentment as the peaceful atmosphere invaded his troubled thoughts, Anakin sat down on one of the garden benches - only to jump up again as a small squeak of surprise came out from beneath him.

Anakin blushed furiously and almost stammered an apology as he recognized Rabe sitting on the bench. She quickly smoothed down her purple handmaiden robes as she stood up.

"I'm sorry," she apologized profusedly. "I didn't want to disturb you, seeing as you seemed to be enjoying the quiet. That's why I didn't say anything, you know, I just - "

Anakin couldn't help it as he burst out laughing at the handmaiden's flustered motions. Quickly he tried to smother it, but a few giggles still escaped.

Rabe stopped trying to fix her appearance and glared at him. "It's not funny! And what I don't understand is how you can keep putting up a show of non-vocal abilities and yet giggle like a schoolboy minutes later. What _are_ you hiding?"

Anakin sobered immediately. It had occured to him that his uncanny laughter could endanger his false identity, but he never could help it when the situation occured. Until now no one had mentioned it...

Sighing deeply, Anakin sat down next to Rabe and pulled out his datapad. _"You really want to know?" _he wrote down for her to see.

Rabe gave him a suspicious look, then answered, "Yes, I do."

_"This is why. I can't tell you. Yes, you are right, I don't have a speach impediment. But if I were to tell you why I really do this, it could endanger the life of the queen."_

Rabe gave him a disbelieving stare. "You mean all this time you've been faking a disability just to protect the queen? But why? It doesn't make sense? What possible danger could your silence prevent?"

_"I'm afraid that is not mine to answer. I only hope I can reveal it to you at a better time. Until then, I just need you to trust me in this. Will you keep it a secret?"_

"Well of course," Rabe said, blushing at the thought Laurence sitting so close to her. "I won't tell a soul. I promise."

His eyes shone with gratitude yet some concern. Captivated by his gaze, Rabe leaned towards him, her lips drawing close to his own. All the time in the world seemed to be wrapped up in this moment.

Just before the much longed for kiss became a reality, Anakin suddenly stood up and stepped away from the bench.

"Forgive me, milady," he said quietly, then left the garden.

Rabe stayed where she was, confusion, hurt, and shame flooding her emotions. She loved him, she realized. Laurence Stalin, the quiet, thoughtful stranger with so many secrets. Rabe had always been attracted to him. All the handmaidens were. But this was the first time she had gotten so close to making his heart fall for her own.

And now the moment was ruined.

Wiping away a tear that trickled down her cheek, Rabe stood up and smoothed down her dress. Perhaps it was better this way. She was the queen's handmaiden. She could not be distracted from her responsibilities when so much was at stake. Laurence, as the queen's guard, could not afford such luxuries either. Rabe would do well to leave things alone.

Still, her heart panged with a grief she had never known existed. They say a broken heart is a pain no one should bear. Rabe was experiencing it for the first time.

Then she straightened her shoulders. Pain or no pain, she had to move on, if only for Padme's sake and not her own. Swallowing her emotions, Rabe strode swiftly back to the her room, where she collapsed on the bed and cried her heart out.

...

Anakin leaned against the wall, his emotional strength taxed to the limit. It had been so tempting just to enfold her into his arms and accept the upturned lips. Rabe had Padme's eyes and hair, and that strong personality which made Padme the queen she was. But she wasn't Padme, and Anakin would not let allow himself to be distracted from the young girl he had met on Tatooine.

Drawing a shuddering breath, Anakin turned and paced down the hallway. He needed some time to think.

He would apologize to Rabe later, but his heart would not change. He was devoted to his Angel, and no one would stand between them.

...

"I understand you've only been working as the queen's guardian for the past three months."

Senator Bail Organna had come to Naboo for the royal elections in hopes of offering Padme a place in the Senate on Coruscant. It was against the Naboo customs to allow a queen to serve longer than her term, but Organna felt Padme could still be just as effective as a voice in the senate as she was as Naboo's ruler.

Anakin nodded slowly as he mulled over Organna's words. _Queen's guardian._ The name had been mentioned lightly by a news reporter after an attempt on Padme's life three weeks ago, but it had stuck permanently. It seemed he could not go anywhere without the term being mentioned.

"Will you continue to look after Padme after she leaves the throne, or will you lend your skills to the new queen?" Organna asked.

Anakin could sense the loaded question. Organa seemed to sense his feelings for Padme.

_"I'm not sure," _he wrote on his data pad. _"I haven't decided yet."_

Organna nodded his understanding. "Either way you'll be greatly needed," he commented. "A political career is always deadly, no matter what your position."

_"Unless you're the garbage disposal manager, that is."_

Organna laughed. "Well, even that has its problems. You'll likely die of the stench."

Anakin grinned in return then politely excused himself. He was still on duty, despite the momentary break.

...

It was late evening by the time everything was over. The elections had gone smoothly, the only trouble being a pickpocket who tried to steal the royal crown.

Anakin stood in the doorway of Padme's room as she packed her belongings.

"I'm actually rather glad that's all over," Padme commented as she took a folded dress from her one of her handmaidens and placed it in a trunk. She had changed from her formal queen's robes to a more comfortable burgundy dress that was trimmed in silver. "I could use some time to settle down and relax without the fate of the entire planet resting in my hands."

"Will you be accepting Senator Organna's offer, milady?" Sabe asked as she continued to empty the closet.

Padme smiled. "It's not really like I can refuse," she said lightly. "Bail Organna's right. I can accomplish a great deal by representing Naboo."

She looked up towards Anakin. "Will you be coming with me, Laurence?"

The question was so blunt and unexpected that complete silence filled the room. The handmaidens stopped working and looked to Anakin with expectant faces, waiting for his answer.

Anakin hesitated a moment, but his heart was singing. She had asked him to come with her! Perhaps Padme did care for him after all, even if she didn't show it outwardly.

Grinning and shrugging helplessly, Anakin nodded his assent.

Padme smiled broadly while the less formal maiden in training, Dane, burst into tears. Padme rolled her eyes slightly and gave the young girl an encouraging pat on the back.

Rabe, Sabe, and and Sache exchanged looks of destitution, then quietly excused themselves.

Padme laughed slightly and shook her head as soon as she and Anakin were alone. "Laurence Stalin, I do believe you've stolen the heart of every girl in the palace," she chided teasingly.

_Everyone but yours,_ he wanted to say. Instead Anakin helped her pack.

Organizing a trunk however was not the same as a toolbox, and Padme was soon shooing him out of the room. Laughing as a slipper got thrown at his head when he stuck out his tongue, Anakin quickly escaped down the hallway.

He would need to tell Panaca of his resignation from the queen's service, and then he needed to pack his own belongings.

As Anakin passed by the shipyard, he looked in at the familiar scene. Jilzan was shouting at a doug who offered too low a price for a ship, employees were scurrying frantically, and the same hapless employee Jilzan had fired on Anakin's first day was still adjusting controls wrong.

Shaking his head at the general chaos Anakin let his gaze sweep over his beautiful ship. Finally completed three months ago, the Black Falcon's simple yet sleek black paint shone radiently in the bright sunlight. Anakin would be taking her with him, that was for sure. Smiling, Anakin let his mind take in the busy shipyard one last time. He would no longer be coming here any longer, but with a bright future ahead, he doubted he'd regret it.

**...**

**PLEASE NOTE:**

** Next chapter begins the Attack of the Clones Arc. From then on I will be referring to the real Anakin as "Laurence" except when he is alone or with someone who knows his identity (like his Mom).**


	6. Facing the Past

Laurence banked the ship slowly as they neared Coruscant's atmosphere. He felt inexplicably anxious, and his eyes kept instinctively drawing to the force binder on his wrist. The only time the force ever managed to get past the block was when it was practically screaming for his attention. During those times, Laurence knew he had to be extra alert.

Not for the first time, Laurence wished Padme had agreed to take his own ship instead of the silver Naboo cruiser. His was much better equipped for attack manuevers.

As they cleared the atmosphere, the highest buildings began to poke up out of the cloud banks. Diving into the lower spectrum was always like entering a sea of mist and the unknown, where one never knew what to expect.

As Laurence eased the ship into a perfect landing, he glanced warily into the fog. Something was wrong, but he couldn't place it.

Leaving the cockpit abruptly, he went to find Padme. His senses raging now, Laurence broke into a run and caught up with the senator just as the explosion hit.

Laurence felt the concussion blast sear through his clothing as he allowed the force of the explosion to carry him forward. A searing pain hit his right leg as a piece of shrapnel drove through his calf. Every moment seemed to unfold in slow motion. Grabbing the senator around the waist, Laurence twisted into a roll and felt his head hit the pavement as they cleared the danger zone.

Slowly Laurence sat up as the barrage of searing heat died down. Scrambling over to the senator, he checked her vital signs. She was still alive.

"Corde!"

A short, slim pilot ran over towards them. She pulled off her helmet, allowing a wave of brown hair to unfurl.

"Milday," the decoy Laurence had just rescued said. "I'm so sorry. I failed you."

"No," Padme shook her head as Corde's head fell back limply.

Laurence felt for a pulse again and was relieved to find it still beating.

_"She needs medical treatment right away,"_ he signed to Padme.

Discreetly he loosened the force binder on his wrist. The flow of power was almost overwhelming, but Laurence managed to concentrate it enough to give Corde the neccessary burst of his life force the handmaiden needed to continue breathing. Hurriedly clasping the bracelet shut, he stepped out of the way so that the medics could get through. One of them took a quick look at Laurence's leg and immediately ordered him to sit back down again.

"Milady, you're still in danger here," one of the security guards warned as he drew Padme away from the scene.

"I shouldn't have come back," Padme said, sounding sick to her stomach.

"This vote is very important," the guard told her. "You did your duty, Corde did hers. Now come."

Padme hesitated a moment, looking back at Laurence with concern in her eyes.

"Senator Amidala, _please_!" the guard insisted.

Laurence nodded once, indicating that he was allright. Padme smiled slightly in relief and allowed the guard to lead her away.

...

Several hours later, Padme led Laurence over to a chair so she could check him over herself.

"Is your head all right?" she asked bruisquely as she grabbed an ointment bottle and poured some of the liquid onto a cloth.

Laurence rolled his eyes and nodded, then grimaced as the movement increased his headache tenfold.

Padme was immediately at his side as she examined his eyes. "Hm, looks like you have a slight concussion," she noted. "I'm ordering you off duty for the rest of the day. I don't want to see you doing anything but resting until tommorrow, is that understood?"

Laurence glared at the ceiling. _"It's not that bad,"_ he signed.

Padme gave him a stern look. "I won't have my guardian killing himself because he tried leaping over roof tops with a brain injury. Bed. Now."

Laurence stared at the former queen, taken aback by the direct order. Usually he was the one who had to be concerned about Padme ruining her health, not the other way around.

_"Yes, milady," _he signed sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

Padme smiled, then bent down and kissed him on the cheek. "Try and be more careful," she said softly, her eyes shining with genuine concern. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

The moment should have been perfect, but it was suddenly broken as one of the guards entered the room.

"Milady, the chancelor is ready to meet with you," the guard said.

"Good, I'll head over right away." Padme's voice was strict and formal again as her role as senator took over. Glancing back to Laurence, she reminded him, "Eight hours of sleep. At the least. Is that clear?"

Laurence gave an overexaggerated salute and walked out with them, turning down the corridor to his own temporary quarters. Once there he switched on his computer and hacked into the senate building security cameras. Padme could ban him to his room, but she still couldn't prevent him from protecting her, even if it all he could do was listen in on the meeting.

As he found Chancelor Palpatine's senate room, Laurence's head suddenly began to pound. As much as he had tried to escape it, his past had caught up with him again.

Three Jedi were there.

"Senator Amidala," Master Yoda's voice came over the holograph. "Your tragedy on the landing platform. Terrible. Seeing you alive, brings warm feelings to my heart."

"Do you have any idea who's behind this attack?" Padme demanded.

"Our intelligence points to disgruntled spice miners on the moons of Naboo," Mace Windu appeared on the screen.

Laurence's breath came faster. He was not prepared for this. He had come with Padme expecting to fill out a vote, not getting involved with Jedi Masters.

"I think that Count Dooku is behind it," Padme replied to Windu's theory.

"He is a political idealist," a third Jedi commented, "not a murderer."

"You know Milady, Count Dooku was once a Jedi," Mace explained. "He couldn't assasinate anyone. It's not in his nature."

"But, for certain, Senator," Yoda said, "in grave danger you are."

"Master Jedi," Palpatine spoke up. "May I suggest the senator be placed under the protection of your graces?"

"You really think that's a wise decision under these stressful times?" Bail Organna spoke up.

Laurence's eys widened at Palpatine's suggestion. _Oh, no. No way! I am not working with Jedi! I spent too much of my life trying to get away from all that for you to just shove it into my life again!_

Padme spoke up, agitation lacing her voice. "Chancelor, if I may comment, I do not believe the situ-"

"The situation is that serious?" Palpatine filled in. "No, but I do, Senator. I realize all too well that additional security might be disruptive for you, but... perhaps someone you're familiar with." He smiled as an idea came to mind. "An old friend, like... Master Kenobi."

Laurence's heart dropped a thousand miles. _No. Please, anyone but Obi-Wan!_

"That's possible," Mace Windu said the dreaded words. "He's just returned from a border dispute on Antion."

"Do it for me, Milady," Palpatine pleaded. "Please. The thought of losing you..." he swallowed, and Laurence felt a strange sense of distrust rise in him. "... is unbearable."

"I'll have Obi-Wan report to you immediately, Milady," Mace Windu told Padme.

Laurence sighed and turned the holograph off. So this was it. He was finally going to meet up with his former master. Had Obi-Wan changed since he left? Would he still recognize his old padawan? A sudden though made Laurence shudder. Had Obi-Wan taken on a new apprentice in his stead?

The tension beginning to overwhelm him, Laurence began pacing around the room, ignoring the dull ache in his leg as the torn muscles protested. Suddenly he stopped, wheeled around, and opened the trunk that held his extra clothing. If he had to meet Obi-Wan, he might as well get it over with.

Pulling out a clean tunic and pair of trousers, both of which were lined in bright blue material, Laurence quickly changed out of his rubble streaked outfit. When he entered the room at Padme's side, it would be as the 'Queen's Guardian.'

...

Padme put up a show of annoyance when she saw Laurence out of bed, but she was secretly pleased. She hated the fact that the chancelor felt she needed extra security. Couldn't he tell that Laurence could look after her well enough?

Patient as usual, Laurence sat back and listened as Padme vented her frustrations over the meeting. First the Jedi didn't believe her, and then the chancelor had given orders for the Jedi to watch over her.

"Does he really think I'm that incapable of taking care of myself?" Padme paced around the room, her voice barely holding her anger.

Laurence just raised his eyebrows teasingly, hinting that he was of the opinion that the chancelor was correct in this matter.

"Why you - you - " Padme stumbled for a perfect insult, but drew a blank. It was hard argueing with Laurence when he just sat there with that innocent grin on his face. Even worse, he had chosen to wear his formal clothing for the occasion.

The black tunic was lined at the sleeves, colar, and base with bright blue, perfectly matching the diamond streaked blue belt about Laurence's waist. The black cloak he wore gave him a far younger and more vulnerable appearance, and it too was trimmed in the eye catching sky blue color. Altogether he looked positively adorable in the outfit, and Padme found herself blushing as his gaze rested on her.

"You horribly wonderful person," Padme finally managed to finish. She couldn't help a grin at his cheeky look.

Laurence was beginning to get quite agitated at the present circumstances. All he wanted to do right then was sweep his beautiful angel into his arms. Unfortunately, they were not alone. Even if they had been, however, as the Senator's guardian he knew there was a time and a place for everything. Padme's duties came first. When the right moment came he would tell her everything.

"Senator Padme," Jar-Jar's voice rang out, once again proving that finding a moment alone with a politician was practically impossible. "Meesa pallos here! Lookie, lookie, Senator. Deesa Jedi arriving."

Laurence drew back into the shadows of a pillar where he could observe the scene without drawing attention to himself.

All of a sudden Laurence knew Padme was right about his concussion. He really should be in bed right now, as he was positive he was seeing things. Laurence's breath stopped as he stared at the person standing next to Obi-Wan.

It was _him_. Laurence could have been looking at a mirror version of himself as a padawan. It was impossible! How could -

Abruptly the pieces fell together. The Jedi never sending out search parties. The easy grin on Obi-Wan's face, as though all of life was normal. The bypassing gaze that never even hinted that Obi-Wan recognized his former padawan.

According to the Jedi, Anakin had never left the temple.

Laurence closed his eyes a moment as his emotions surged. He _had_ been replaced. Laurence's heart clenched painfully. Not only that, but he hadn't even had a chance to meet a new padawan under Obi-Wan's tutilege. He had been replaced by Anakin Skywalker.

His breath coming hard as he stared at his other self, Laurence began to feel an anger he hadn't known for a long time. How _dare_ this imposter take his place! How dare he look at_ his _angel with such passion?

"Ani?" Padme's smile was radient as she looked at the imposter. "My goodness, you've grown."

Laurence suddenly had an inexplicable urge to punch the wall as the imposter spoke.

"So have you. Grown more beautiful I mean." He looked around, slightly embarrased. "Well, for a senator I mean," he finished lamely.

Laurence rolled his eyes. _Strike one. _He grinned wickedly, hoping the imposter would keep it up.

Padme laughed slightly, but Laurence could tell she was unimpressed. "Ani, you'll always be that little boy I knew on Tatooine."

The imposter looked stung at the comment, but he wisely kept silent.

"Our presence here will be invisible, Milady, I assure you." Obi-Wan said.

Laurence swallowed the lump in his throat as he watched his former master. Too many memories were swarming him, and he tore his gaze away.

Looking over at the other Anakin, Laurence gave him a fierce glare. The imposter appeared confused and pointed him out.

"Who's that?" he asked, matching Laurence's stare with his own challenge.

Padme smiled. "Oh, that's Laurence. He's my guardian."

"I have heard of him," Obi-Wan commented as he sat down. "Apparently he has saved your life on more than one occassion."

Padme beamed as she glanced back at Laurence, and he could feel the imposter's fursious gaze burning into his skull.

"He's the best security guard anyone could wish for," Padme confirmed. "And he's a great friend."

"Allow me to introduce Master Siri Tachi and her apprentice Darra Thel-Tannis," Obi-Wan indicated to two Jedi who had just entered the room.

Laurence swung his head in their direction. He hadn't heard about this on the holograph.

"I'm Captain Typho of the Queen's security services," one of the guards introduced himself. "Queen Jamila has been informed of your assignment. I am grateful you're here, Masters Kenobi and Tachi. The situation is more dangerous than the senator will admit."

"I don't need more security, I need answers," Padme objected. "I want to know who's trying to kill me."

"We're here to protect you, Senator," Obi-Wan pointed out. "Not to start an investigation."

"We will find out who's trying to kill you, Padme," Anakin said. "I promise you."

Darra gasped softly in exhasperation, and Laurence's brow furrowed. Surely he wasn't _that_ bad when he left the temple! He knew he had matured a lot since then, but he hoped he hadn't been this much of a brat to his master.

"We will not exceed our mandate, my _young_ padawan learner," Obi-Wan ordered strictly.

Laurence felt his jaw tighten instinctively as memories rose unbidden. Obi-Wan hadn't changed at all.

"I meant that in the interest of protecting her, Master, of course," Anakin said cooly.

"We will not go through this excersise again, Anakin," Obi-Wan lectured as Padme shifted uncomfortably. "And you will pay attention to my lead."

"Why?"

Laurence's eyes widened at the outright defiance radiating from the other Anakin. Darra meanwhile gave the Senator a helpless look as Siri's brow furrowed in agitation.

"What?" Obi-Wan asked in shock.

"Why else do you think we were sent here if not to find the killer," Anakin pointed out. "Protection is a job for local security, not Jedi."

If Laurence had been alone with imposter right then, he might have taught him a few things about how a security guard protects those he is watching over.

"We will do exactly as the council has instructed," Obi-Wan said tightly. "And you will learn your place, young one."

For the first time in his life Laurence began to understand Obi-Wan's harsh attitude towards him in his temple days. For sure, there had been many times when the Master had reacted unfairly towards him, but if Laurence had acted like _this_ it was no wonder Obi-Wan always seemed angry! For the first time Laurence felt shame washing over him as he thought back to his old life.

Padme attempted as best she could to dispel the cold atmosphere. "Perhaps with merely your presence the mysteries surrounding this threat will be revealed." She stood up. "Now if you will excuse me, I will retire."

Laurence shot one more glare in the direction of the imposter, then left the room. He needed some time to think.

..

Darra sat back and resisted the urge to chew a fingernail as Obi-Wan and Anakin continued to bicker. Over the years since Korriban, she had slowly come to the realization that as old as he was, Anakin still acted like such a child sometimes. While at nearly nineteen, Darra was now considered mature enough to take the trials, it appeared that Anakin still had a long ways to go.

Looking around the room, Darra's gaze was drawn to the dark figure standing against the wall. His black hair and outfit helped him blend into the shadows, but his cold blue eyes were lit with an eery fire as he glared at Anakin.

So this was the Queen's Guardian. Laurence Stalin was known all across this sector of the galaxy, and Darra could see why. He was incredibly young for his reputation, yet he carried himself with a maturity and pride that few other than the Jedi could bear. His clothing brought the term 'Sith' to Darra's mind, but his manner was subdued other than the occasional glare he sent Anakin's way.

Glancing between the two of them, Darra noted that something seemed familiar. Perhaps it was the same ice blue eyes, or the pride with which they carried themselves. Perhaps it was the contrast of Laucence's confidence versus Anakin's arrogance that made them appear alike to each other.

Darra wasn't quite sure, but she couldn't help the naggling feeling that she was missing something very important.

After the senator left, Siri excused herself to go report to the council after an unexpected summon.

Anakin was apparently agitated at the Senator's reaction towards him, causing Darra to feel a little concerned. Didn't he realize that emotional attatchment could destroy a Jedi? Then again, Anakin had always been different from the others. His passions ran deep, and nothing the Jedi drilled into him would change that. He had grown up away from the temple for far too long.

"Let's go check the security," Obi-Wan ordered, snapping Darra out of her thoughts.

She nodded and followed them, her mind elsewhere.

...

**Slightly short, but I'm going according to the movie now and it seemed like a good chpater break. Yes, Anakin is a real brat in Attack of the Clones. Hopefully Laurence will be able to knock some of that out of him before things get too out of hand. (Hint hint, wink wink.)**

** Thank you for the reviews! I have four stories I'm writing at once (two aren't published yet), so it's kind of a review-termed update basis. The more comments I get on a story, the greater my chance is for updating sooner. :)**


	7. The Assassin

** In Answer to a Few Questions:**

** Floating Leaves: Actually, I picked out the last name "Stalin" for this story years ago. (Yes, the plot actually goes that far back. :) I wasn't very creative with name choice back then - I think the name came off of "Stalinburg" or something. Anyways, it sounded good, so I decided to keep it for this plot. I didn't even know there was someone by the name of Joseph Stalin. :)**

** Sodorland: Thanks for pointing out Anakin's nightmares. I had forgotten about that part. Due to his being cut off from the force, he naturally won't be getting as clear a warning as his clone, but I'll make sure and add that into the next couple chapters.**

...

Darra felt she could cut through the tension with merely a leaf, it was so thick. In some way or another Anakin and Laurence had managed to start an ubelievably complicated rivalship over the afternoon. Darra suspected it revolved around the queen.

Rolling her eyes at the scene, Darra leaned against the wall and watched the drama play out. Anakin was like fire, his gaze burning and threatening as he paced around the room. Laurence on the other hand appeared as cool in temper as any Jedi, though he kept up that same icy stare while he continued to stand protectively in front of the Senator's bedroom door.

"I don't like him being over there," Anakin said tartly as he glared through the glass pane that seperated the two enemies.

"He's protecting the Senator, Anakin," Darra pointed out. "Besides, he's been working for Senator Amidala longer than you have. I think he knows what he's doing."

"Well I still don't like it," Anakin retorted as he continued to pace.

Darra sighed. Often these days a part of her wondered if Anakin had changed over the years since Korriban, while the other part said that no, he had always been this way and she had always been too blind to notice.

The door swished open as Obi-Wan entered. "Captain Typho has more than enough men upstairs," he said as he removed his cloak. "No assasin would try that way. Any activity up here?"

"Quiet as a tomb," Anakin replied. "I don't like just waiting here for something to happen to her."

Obi-Wan's brow furrowed as he checked the security cameras. "What's going on?" he asked as his screen drew a blank.

"Agh, she covered the cameras," Anakin said with some irritation. "I don't think she liked me watching."

Darra raised an eyebrow. She had a feeling she knew why.

"What is she thinking?" Obi-Wan questioned as went to the window.

"She programmed R-2 to warn us if there is an intruder," Anakin reassured him.

"There are many other ways to kill a senator," Obi-Wan warned.

"I know, but... we also want to catch this assasin, don't we master."

Obi-Wan's face paled slightly at the implications. "You're using her as bait."

Anakin looked away, flustered. "It was her idea."

Darra wheeled around to face Anakin, feeling a horror wash over her. They hadn't informed her of this!

"Don't worry, no harm will come to her," Anakin told both of them. "I can sense everything going on in that room. Trust me," he added as Obi-Wan looked skeptical.

"It's too risky," Obi-Wan countered. "Besides, your senses aren't that attuned, my young apprentice."

"And yours are?" Anakin challenged.

"Possibly," Obi-Wan replied, his voice laced with tension.

Darra sighed and leaned back against the wall. They were at it again. Sometimes she wished she could just cover her ears and scream for the fighting to stop.

Darra glanced down at Laurence when Obi-Wan and Anakin had finally ceased their arguement for the time being. He was still standing there, patient and unmoving, his eyes surveying the dark hallway. He looked exhausted, Darra noticed. Of course, with the recent events it was only natural that he hadn't gotten as much sleep as usual. As the senator's guardian, he had full responsibility for her safety, despite how many Jedi might be there to protect her.

"You look tired," Obi-Wan drew Darra's attention back to her fellow padawan.

Anakin looked back as he fingered the balcony railing. "I don't sleep well anymore."

"Because of your mother?" Genuine concern filled Obi-Wan's tone.

Anakin hesitated, then nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I don't know why I keep dreaming about her."

Obi-Wan walked over, still keeping his senses alert for danger. "Dreams pass in time."

"I'd much rather dream about Padme," Anakin responded. "Just being around her again is... intoxicating."

"Be mindful of your thoughts Anakin, they betray you," Obi-Wan warned. "You have made a commitment to the Jedi Order, a commitment not easily broken. And don't forget, she's a polititian and they're not to be trusted."

Darra turned her attention back to the senator's door as the two continued. Laurence had stiffened noticably, his posture absolutely still as he listened. Her senses alert, Darra reached out with the force and tried to discern what the guardian was watching for.

Laurence tensed, drawing a blaster as he pressed closer against the door.

Darra immediately activated her lightsaber. "I think something's happening," she warned Obi-Wan as she hurried towards the hallway.

Obi-Wan and Anakin ran forward together, their arguement forgotten.

..

Laurence felt the whisper grow into a roar as the force pounded against the barrier holding it back. Racing through the doorway, he immediately caught sight of two worms slithering onto Padme's bed. Swiftly he raised his blaster, shooting the creatures several times as the ends continued to writhe.

Anakin, Darra, and Obi-Wan raced through the door a second later. Padme sat up with a gasp, and a probe that Laurence hadn't noticed before pulled itself away from the window.

Without hesitation Obi-Wan charged forward and leapt through the glass, catching hold of the probe just in time to go sailing away with it.

"Stay here!" Anakin ordered Padme as he ran out of the room.

Laurence hesitated a moment, her heart torn between his angel and his master. A quick survey of the situation caused him to decide that Darra and the security guards approaching would be more than enough to protect Padme. He went to help Obi-Wan.

"Wait, Laurence - !" Darra's voice echoed behind him.

Anakin may have had to force to help him, but Laurence had been training his body to outrun thugs since he was sixteen and a half. He easily caught up to the padawan, and they exchanged a dark glance as they raced side by side.

A sudden thought hit Laurence and he nearly stopped mid-stride. He was doing it again! He thought he had left his blind competetiveness behind when he left the temple, yet here he was, abandoning Darra and the others once more as he tried to outbest a rival. Had he really changed since his experience on Korriban?

But no. He must have changed. This time he wasn't abandoning the others just for the sake of his pride. This time it was solely to save Obi-Wan.

His spoiled imposter was getting in the way, that was all.

Anakin ran to the first speeder with an open cockpit, and after a fleeting second of hesitation Laurence followed.

Anakin seemed agitated to find Laurence in the passenger seat, but he let the matter pass as the need to find Obi-Wan was much more important.

Laurence's hands were itching to get on the controls, but Anakin surprised him by maneuvering the speeder as well as any podracer. Of course. It would only make sense that the imposter would have as much skill as Laurence when it came to ships. Once again Laurence's blood ran cold as he wondered who in the world his replacement was and how he had been planted in the temple.

Laurence spotted Obi-Wan ahead as the Jedi Master hung onto the probe for dear life. A figure standing against the limelights suddenly pulled out a rifle, blasting the probe into smitherines.

Anakin immediately pulled the speeder into a dive, pressing Laurence against the seat and jostling every bone in his body. For a swift moment Laurence realized exactly how Obi-Wan must feel whenever his padawan was at the controls, but he still couldn't help but get lost in the thrill of the downward movement.

There were only two seats in the speeder, and Laurence knew Obi-Wan would never be able to hold on - especially with Anakin's driving. Pulling himself up, he leapt backwards and smoothly grabbed hold of the head rests in front of him as the speeder moved forwards. Stabbing the spikes on his boots into the yellow metal of the hull, he grinned and watched as Obi-Wan fell against the speeder and pulled himself into the passenger seat.

"What took you so long?" Obi-Wan demanded as he buckled his seat belt.

"Oh, you know master," Anakin commented. "I couldn't find a speeder that I really liked..."

"There he is," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"...with an open cockpit and the right speed capabilities," Anakin continued.

"If you spent as much time practicing your saber techniques as you do your wit you'd best Master Yoda by now," Obi-Wan grunted as the speeder swerved beneath him.

"I thought I already did," Anakin laughed.

"Only in your mind, my very young apprentice." Obi-Wan looked back as they dove again and noticed Laurence for the first time.

"Shouldn't you let the Senator's guard get off somewhere?" he shouted over the noise of the traffic.

Anakin glanced back a second and saw Laurence's grin. "Ah, he's all right," he commented. "I think he's used to this kind of stuff."

"Well I'm not," Obi-Wan said ruefully. "He's making me rather nervous. What am I going to tell Padme if her guardian falls a thousand feet to his death?"

The speeder dove straight down just then, nearly catapulting Laurence into Obi-Wan. He was seriously beginning to reconsider his choice to follow his 'other self' into this mess.

"Pull up Anakin, pull up!" Obi-Wan called as they an approaching ship began to block their flight path.

Anakin laughed at his master's worry, and Laurence quickly stabbed a row of spikes from his arm guard into the speeder hull as his grip began to loosen. Owen was right; he was going to get himself killed someday.

Anakin pulled on the controls abruptly, and Laurence was glad he had the extra support from his arm guard. He didn't prefer hanging by his feet if the situation arose.

"You know I don't like it when you do that," Obi-Wan berated as he and Anakin looked back to make sure Laurence hadn't fallen off during the escapade.

"I'm sorry, Master. I forgot you don't like flying," Anakin said calmly.

"I don't mind flying," Obi-Wan's voice rose a pitch as they swerved again. "But what you're doing is suicide!"

Laurence ducked his head and flattened himself as best he could as they began swerving around large plumes of flame. He hoped his hair wouldn't catch on fire. Usually he tied it back before leaving on a death mission like this, but in this case there hadn't been time.

As the assasin's speeder raced on ahead, an arm poked out of the window and shot one of the power coupling's, allowing a field of purple energy to unleash.

"Anakin! How many times do I have to tell you - " Obi-Wan's voice was cut off as they charged straight into the field of electricity. " - Stay away from... power... couplings!"

The lightning bolts jolted through Laurence's body, leaving his teeth clenched and his head spinning. Ruefully he shook the stars out of his eyes. His friendly imposter was just as bad as he was when it came to suicidal tendencies.

"That was good!" Obi-Wan admitted as they pulled free of the electricity and drew closer to their quarry.

Laurence could have agreed otherwise at the moment, but he did note that they were closer to their quarry than before. Unexpectedly the assasin swerved into a tunnel, and to Laurence's surprise Anakin drove the speeder right past it.

"Where are you going?" Obi-Wan questioned. "He went that way!"

"Master if we keep this chase going any further that creep is going to end up deep fried," Anakin pointed out. "Personally I'd like very much to find out who he is _and_ who he's working for. This is a short cut... I think."

The ship swerved in a crescent moon shape, and once again the only reason Laurence didn't fly right off was the blades he had driven into the metal.

Anakin pulled the speeder to a halt as they approached the opposite entrence of the tunnel.

Obi-Wan crossed his arms as no assasin appeared. "Well, you've lost him."

"I'm deeply sorry, Master," Anakin said in an unapolotetic tone.

"That was some shortcut, Anakin," Obi-Wan lectured. "He went _completely_ the other way. Once again you've proved - "

"If you'll excuse me," Anakin broke in as he launched himself over the side of the speeder.

Laurence didn't wait for a second invitation and leapt into the cockpit, quickly strapping himself in.

"I hate it when he does that," Obi-Wan muttered as he watched his freefalling padawan.

Laurence shook his head and pulled the speeder into a dive. He might as well go save 'himself' while he was at it.

Laurence watched in astonishment as Anakin landed precisely on the assasin's ship. The assasin immediately tried to shake him off, veering the ship forwards and to the side as Anakin grimly hung on.

At last Anakin managed to get ahold of the cockpit, and he immediately activated his lightsaber and drove the blade through the glass. A blaster bolt too close to his hand forced Anakin to jerk back, causing him to lose his grip on his saber.

Obi-Wan instinctively put out a hand to catch the flying weapon, and Laurence was reminded of the countless occasions when he, too had misplaced his lightsaber in battle.

Despite the loss of his weapon, Anakin still managed to get the upper hand. Laurence heard blaster shots sound as smoke began to pour out from the assasin's cockpit. Immediately the ship began to bank, and Laurence coaxed a burst of speed from his vessel, hoping to catch Anakin before he fell off and got himself killed.

How strange that he was now on a mission to rescue his identical look-alike. It was enough to make Laurence's head spin.

The assasin's speeder was low enough to the ground that by the time Anakin lost his grip he was in little danger of seriously injuring himself. He hit the ground with a crash and dived into a roll to absorb the impact.

Laurence pulled the speeder into a slick landing, allowing a green-looking Obi-Wan to catch his breath. Without waiting for further instructions, Laurence took off into the crowd.

He was used to pushing his way through heavy populated areas, and in this case his old reputation as the terror of the Coruscant underground proceeded him. Humanoids and other species scattered before him. None wanted to be in the way when "Strike" was on the move.

Laurence could hear his look-alike charging through the packed square behind him. He caught sight of the assasin just as he - no, it had to be a she - raced into a pub.

Slowing his pace, Laurence meandered inside the building and began to wander around. He heard Obi-Wan pulling Anakin to a stop outside, and Laurence smiled as he heard that all too familiar lecture on never losing one's lightsaber.

As he meandered through the pub, thugs and gamblers hid their wares and shrunk into the shadows. Obi-Wan and Anakin entered a moment later and began to search the area, but the already wary customers were tight lipped about any information.

Laurence wasted no time as he strode up to the nervous barkeeper. "What information can you give me about anyone who recently came in here?" he asked in a hushed tone as he placed a credit chip and a blaster on the counter. The implications were unmistakable. There was a reward for information, and a prison statement or worse in exchange for silence.

The barkeeper gulped and swung his head towards the left of the bar, where Laurence could see the purple clad figure hiding in the shadows. He nodded and placed another credit chip on the counter before picking up his blaster.

Obi-Wan meanwhile was questioning one of the customers. Unexpectedly the assasin made her move. Approaching Obi-Wan with blaster drawn, she prepared to draw the trigger.

Obi-Wan's Jedi reflexes were lightning fast as he spun around, drawing his lightsaber and slicing through the assasin's wrist.

The conversation around the bar was abruptly silenced. Obi-Wan hauled the assasin up by her unwounded arm, helping her outside the pub.

"Easy," Anakin ordered the customers. "Jedi business, go back to your drinks."

Laurence scowled as he replaced his blaster. He was a little annoyed that Obi-Wan had taken down his quarry, but the deed was done. He might as well help his master.

Once outside, Obi-Wan gently lowered the assasin to the ground while Laurence pulled out a med pack for her severed hand.

"Do you know who it was you were trying to kill?" Obi-Wan asked.

"It was a senator," the assasin grunted. "From Naboo."

"And who hired you?" Obi-Wan demanded.

The assasin hesitated, reluctant to speak. "It was just a job," she muttered.

Laurence pulled out a roll of bandages and, at a loss for what happened to the scissors, cut off a section with his teeth.

Anakin leaned forward. "Who hired you? Tell us." When the assasin still remained silent, he shouted, "Tell us now!"

The woman gave a worried glare at the Jedi, then answered harshly, "It was a bounty hunter named - "

There was a slight twang, and the assasin's head fell back limply, her face changing grotesquely. Laurence looked up just in time to see an armoured figure sail away, jetpack blazing. Leaping to his feet, he drew a blaster, but the bounty hunter was gone.

Carefully Obi-Wan reached down and plucked a small dart from the assasin's neck. "A toxic dart," he realized.

Laurence looked at the bandages in his hands and slowly wound them up again. He didn't need them anymore.

...

**Wow, I couldn't believe it when I checked my traffic page and found over six hundred hits for this story in just one month! I never thought this would be so popular!**

** Thank you again to all the reviewers. :) It's nice to get so much encouragement.**


	8. Lectures and Rivals

**Author's Note:**

** I know that the last chapter seemed pretty identical to the movie, but not all of the story will be completely different from the original film. There will be a lot of new scenes and quite a few twists and surprises, but the main part of the story is based around what happens in AOTC, so not everything will change. Just wanted to clear that up. :)**

**...**

_He saw her back arch under the whip, her face grimacing in pain. She made no sound, yet he could hear her screams of agony. He ran towards her, but it was as though he were moving through thick sludge. She opened her mouth in one more silent scream, then her head fell limp. He screamed her name, as though that one thing could bring her back._

"MOM!"

Laurence felt a hand on his shoulder and he flung himself back, hitting his head against the wall. Blinking the grittiness from his eyes, he looked up to see Darra's concerned face.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice worried.

Laurence panted a moment, then forced his breathing to calm down. He nodded his head that he was fine, though at the moment he was anything but that. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, but his exhaustion had caught up with him. This was the fifth night in a row he had had the nightmare about his mother's death. Laurence hadn't had time to contact his mother in over two weeks, and suddenly he was anxious for her safety.

Darra sat back and studied him carefully. "Do you often have nightmares?"

Laurence hesitated, then nodded slightly. He had them all the time. Images of Obi-wan, Tru, or Padme would rage through his dreams, taunting him and causing him to wake up in a cold sweat. Sometimes he remembered the horrors of his past; Master Yaddle's death, Darra's near fatal wound, and the deep knifing pain of the disapointment radiating from Obi-wan's gaze. Laurence hadn't dreamed of his mother after he left the temple, though. Not until now.

Darra scrutinized him, her gaze suspicious. Finally she spoke her mind. "You really aren't mute, are you?"

Her eyes lit up with triumph at the brief flash of shock that registered on Laurence's face.

"I heard your scream," Darra said. "How long have you been hiding this?"

Laurence knew the game was up. Once again someone had uncovered his secret, but this time he couldn't bluff his way through like he did with Rabe. You couldn't

Looking around, he noted that Anakin must have left to look after of the queen while Laurence slept. He and Darra were alone.

"It's been three years now," Laurence said in a low voice.

"Why." The question was direct and commanding.

Staring into the flinty gaze of the girl who had once been his dearest friend, Laurence could stand it no longer. Memories flooded his mind, and the dam he had so carefully constructed over the years was swept away in one devestating blow. He was tired of keeping secrets. He had to tell someone, even though it endangered his current identity.

"We need to talk somewhere private," he told Darra.

Darra gave him a suspicious glare, but consented, leading him to one of the rooms away from the hall.

"All right," she crossed her arms and sat down on one of the chairs, giving him her full atttention. "What is this all about?"

Laurence pulled up a chair across from her and took a seat. "Darra, there's something I need to tell you."

Darra raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening."

Laurence hesitated a moment, then removed the string that held his hair back. Removing one particularely long strand, he fingered it and felt a pang in his heart. Despite leaving his position as a Jedi, he had still known he could never leave that life completely behind. Over the years his padawan braid had stayed with him, tucked underneath his tunic. Now it was the only link he had to his past.

Darra gave him a confused look, then stared at the braid. Her eyes widened in recognition. "You're a Jedi!" she explained in a hushed breath.

"Once I was," Laurence shook his head. "I left after the mission to Korriban."

"Korriban?" Darra's expression showed that she was hopelessly lost. Something must have clicked inside her brain though, because suddenly realization dawned on her face. "You can't be..."

Laurence nodded slowly. "It's me, Darra. I'm..." he almost couldn't choke out the words, "...I'm Anakin."

..

If she had been anything but a Jedi, she would have fainted in shock. Darra stared at Laurence, her heart numb. This couldn't be true! Anakin had always been at the temple, even after the final hunt for Omega. Laurence had to be lying, trying to hide his true identity with some falsified story meant to gain her trust.

Yet if that were true... why would he pick Anakin? What would it profit him? There were plenty of names he could use instead. What reason would he have to impersonate a Jedi?

The pieces began to fall together in Darra's mind and she gasped. Suddenly she knew why Laurence and Anakin had seemed so alike. They could almost be identical twins. They had the same eyes, the same broad shoulders and handsome features, and the same proud manner in which they carried themselves. In fact, the only physical differences between the two was their hair and the scar across Laurence's forehead.

"Anakin?" Darra asked breathlessly.

His eyes shone with relief and some fear as he nodded.

Darra stared at him a minute more, then raised her hand and struck him across the face.

..

Laurence didn't know what he expected Darra to do, but he wasn't prepared for the sharp slap she gave to his cheek.

"Why did you do it!" Darra demanded, her voice uncharacteristically harsh. "How could you just run away like that? Why didn't you tell me or Obi-wan?"

Laurence looked down. "Because I was a coward," he admitted. He spoke slowly, the words evoking a storm of pent up emotions that had been buried for years. "I was afraid of your reactions. I thought the council might force me to stay because I was the Chosen One." He looked into her eyes, his own filling with tears. "But even more than that, I was afraid to face you. I knew Obi-wan would be sorry to see me leave, but I wasn't sure if you would even want to say goodbye to me."

Darra's eyes softened a bit. "Because of Tru?"

Laurence didn't know how she had heard of their arguement, but he nodded in confirmation, biting his lip as the old hurt wheled up inside.

"But I don't understand," Darra's voice was softer now. "What made you you think _I_ would abandon you? Haven't we always been friends?"

Laurence folded his hands under his chin and looked down. "I thought the same about Tru. When he told me..." he broke off, unable to continue. Laurence rubbed a hand over his face to compose himself. "When Tru left everything fell apart. Tru was the closest friend I ever had. If he would turn his back on me, I knew there was a reasonable chance you would follow. I didn't want to face that."

"So you ran away." Darra's tone was gentle but chastising. "Did you really think that would solve all of your problems?"

Laurence smiled crookedly. "In a way, it did. I found myself. For once in my life I wasn't simply the fullfillment to a Jedi prophecy. I wasn't some great and powerful being that no one could understand because I was superior to them. I was Laurence Stalin; a security guard, crime fighter, ship engineer, pilot, and the queen's personal body guard." Laurence looked up at Darra, trying to formulate the words that would make her understand. "I've become the person I was never allowed to act like, Darra. I'm not just a legend or a savior of the galaxy. I'm a crazy kid who flies his speeder too fast, runs into walls, beats up on thugs, and protects the Senator. That's all I've ever wanted to be."

Darra was silent. Several minutes passed as she stared into the distance. Laurence let her be, giving her time to mull things over.

Finally she spoke, her voice slow and thoughtful. "I suppose... I do understand a little. I still wish you had told me first." She looked away, her face downcast. Then she stiffened and swung her gaze to Laurence as a thought came to her mind. "But if you've been gone this whole time, then who..." her voice dropped to a hushed whisper. "Who's been here in your place?"

Laurence shook his head. "I don't know. I never even realized he was there until the Jedi arrived." He looked up at Darra, his gaze pleading. "I can't have anyone else find out about this. I'm not ready for them to know yet. Please...Darra."

Darra shook her head, her conscious warring against her heart. Friendship battling against duty. Finally she sighed. "All right. I promise not to tell anyone - for now." She gave Laurence a sharp glare. "If I have to, I will speak of this to the Jedi."

Laurence nodded. "I understand."

Darra smiled softly then reached out and hugged him tight. "I'm glad you're back... Anakin."

...

Darra watched 'the other' Anakin out of the corner of her eye as she helped Senator Amidala pack. If Laurence was the real Anakin, then where had this one come from? She had never noticed any difference between the two. Who or what had planted this look-alike in the temple?

Meanwhile Padme finished explaining to Jar-Jar that she would be leaving for a time and he would be in charge of her place in the senate.

"I do not like this idea of hiding," Padme spat as she stalked into the room.

"Don't worry," Anakin said cooly. "I know the Jedi Council has ordered an investigation. It won't take Master Obi-wan long to find this bounty hunter."

"I haven't worked for a year to defeat the military creation act to _not_ be here when its fate is decided." Padme placed another folded dress in her trunk as she spoke.

"Sometimes we must let go of our pride, and do what is requested of us."

Darra was surprised by the sincerity in Anakin's voice. Even three years ago, she realized, she would never have expected him to say that.

Padme too, looked amazed. "Anakin, you've grown up," she complimented.

"Obi-Wan manages not to see it," Anakin said irritably. He walked to the window. "Don't get me wrong; Obi-wan is a great mentor. He's as wise as Master Yoda and powerful as Master Windu." He turned around, his words genuine. "I am grateful to have him as a master." He put down a small globe he had been tossing around with the force. "In some ways... a lot of ways... I'm really ahead of him."

Darra stiffened as a sudden anger crept into Anakin's voice.

"I'm ready for the trials. But he feels that... that I'm too unpredictable. He won't let me move on!"

"That must be frustrating," Padme consoled, though her voice was tense.

"It's worse!" Anakin didn't let her finish. "He's overly critical, he never listens! He - he doesn't understand! It's not fair!"

There was a sharp footfall at the door. Darra turned around to see Laurence standing there, his datapad clenched tightly in his hands.

"What?" Anakin asked tersely as he caught Laurence's burning gaze.

Laurence strode over and grabbed Anakin's arm. _"We need to talk,"_ he spelled out to Padme before dragging Anakin out of the room.

Padme stared at the door open-mouthed. "I've never seen Laurence get angry before," she mentioned to Darra in bewilderment.

Darra's brow furrowed as Anakin's shouts echoed across the hallway. "Neither have I."

...

The conversation could have been one-sided for all Anakin knew. Everything he said was practically thrown out the window every time Laurence began scribbling away on his stupid data pad.

_"You should start thinking before you open your mouth like that again," _Laurence had written furiously.

"It's none of your business!" Anakin spat. "Besides, what right do you have to tell me how I should act? You've never even had to deal with someone like him before!"

Laurence's jaw clenched. _"You're wrong in that, Skywalker. And unless you want to make a bunch of really bad mistakes like I did, you'd better listen."_

"I don't know why I'm even talking to you in the first place! This conversation was none of your business to start with!"

_"You don't even realize what things are like for your master! Have you ever stopped to think about how you appear to others? Face it - you're a spoiled brat who can't stand to see others getting ahead of you. You resent authority because you don't like being told what to do. You rebel against your master and then wonder why he doesn't trust you. You jump headlong into situations without thinking and then ask why the council doesn't consider you mature enough for the trials. You act on your emotions, throw a tantrum if someone doesn't give you the respect you think you deserve, and openly argue with whoever you feel like - no matter how it affects those around you. Now I want you to look at yourself the way others are forced to see you every day, and then you can tell me your master treats you unfairly."_

Laurence thrust the datapad at Anakin after he finished writing and stomped out of the room.

Laurence knew exactly what points to bring to "Anakin's" attention because he had seen those very same weaknesses in a young, rash padawan who had run away from the Jedi Temple at age sixteen. It was those weaknesses that would be the imposter's downfall if someone didn't bring it to his attention soon.

As much as he hated his 'other self,' Laurence would not let him make the same mistakes he had done. No one should have to be put through what had happened in his own past, just because everyone was too polite to tell them to their face who they were and what they were becoming.

...

Padme smiled as she waited for the battered transport ship to arrive at its destination. The escape plan they had decided on involved her, Laurence, and the two Jedi padawans dressing in outragiously indignifying peasant clothing. Indeed, they all resembled a ragged group of space gypsies from various sections of the galaxy.

Anakin was wearing brown pants and a brown tunic covered with tiny dark mustard colored designs. He would have managed to look quite dashing in it were it not for the pathetic excuse for a white poncho he had donned.

Padme herself wore a plain brown dress with a yellow headscarf and a funny brown headpiece that originated from who-knew-what-planet.

Darra meanwhile had picked out black high heeled boots, a simple maroon colored dress, and a matching head scarf. The wide skirt of the dress had been shortened to mid-calf length for free movement, just in case an attempt on the senator's life occured.

Watching Laurence's mopey expression, Padme nearly giggled. In the entire time he had been working for her, he had almost never worn anything but black. Now he was stuck in a drab blue tunic and trousers with _brown_ boots and belt. Forced to hide his hair and scar under an equally plain blue hood, he looked a far cry from a queen's guardian.

Laurence's clear blue eyes met her own as he felt her gaze. Without warning Padme found herself blushing. Laurence's eyes were so like Anakin's, she realized. Icy blue yet warm, they expressed every emotion he felt. While Anakin's gaze made her nervous however, Laurence's awoke something inside of her that she couldn't place. Something... what was it?

Without meaning to Padme giggled, her confusion at her emotions and the hilarity of Laurence's indignified look causing the laughter to escape.

Laurence made a disguisted face at her cheeky grin, then rolled his eyes towards Anakin and stuck out his tongue. Padme took the implication to mean that she was supposed to make fun of her Jedi guardian just as easily as she did her bodyguard.

Padme grinned and shook her head as she looked out the window. They had arrived.

"Be safe, Milady," Captain Typho told her as they walked to the door of the battered down transport.

"Thank you, Captain," Padme answered. "Take good care of Dorme. The threat's on you two now."

"He'll be safe with me," Dorme said. She smiled at the captain then looked down, her eyes filling with tears.

Padme's face softened. "You'll be fine," she reassured the handmaiden.

"It's not me, Milady," Dorme was quick to say. "I'm worried about you. What if they find out you've left the capital?"

Padme smiled. "Then my Jedi protectors will have to show how good they are. Besides, I have Laurence. I should be in no danger."

Anakin glared at Laurence, who gave him a smug grin underneath the hood.

"Anakin," Obi-wan pulled his apprentice aside. "Don't do _anything_ without first consulting either myself or the council."

"Yes master," Anakin replied, trying to control his resentment at Obi-wan's tone. His thoughts went back to what Laurence had written. Was that really how others viewed him? He was positive the security guard had made up the entire thing, but a tiny part of his mind told him he should listen anyways.

"I'll get to the bottom of this plot quickly, Milady," Obi-wan told Padme cheefully. "You'll be back here in no time."

"I'll be most grateful for your speed, Master Jedi," Padme said politely.

Feeling agitated as his emotions warred with his conscience, Anakin turned to the door. "It's time to go," he ordered.

"I know," Padme said, irritation lacing her words.

Anakin winced as his conscience twinged again. Perhaps Laurence was right when he spoke of how Anakin affected the others around him.

Anakin wasn't used to considereing himself to be in the wrong. Why couldn't that annoying guard leave him alone? Even when he wasn't talking his words came back to haunt Anakin continually. Anakin glared back at Laurence as the security guard immediately went to Padme's side for protection's sake. All he wanted to do was drop Laurence off on the nearest offworld planet and leave him there - preferably unconscious and unable to get back.

_Face it - you're a spoiled brat who can't stand to see others getting ahead of you. _

Anakin scowled. When would the voices stop! He needed to be alone for a while. Unfortunately, he was stuck with the queen's _guardian_ for the rest of the mission - even when he was with Padme!

Anakin shook his head in resentment. He couldn't win. His first chance to be alone with his angel, and he had to work with a guy he hated with every fiber of his being.

**...**

** AUGH! My siblings decided to watch Revenge of the Sith today and I joined them for the inspiration. Unfortunately I got too inspired, especially after the Jedi Temple attack. (Bangs head on wall) Must. Write. ROTC. Section!**

** (Sighs) Unfortunately that will have to wait until the AOTC arc is finished. At least it will keep me writing though. (Cackles evily and rubs hands together at future plans.) **

** Thanks for all the feedback from my reviewers!**


	9. Heartbrake

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you The Tainted Knight for your information on cloned Jedi. I hadn't known there could be technicalities, so I'll be sure to keep that in mind as the story continues.**

**...**

Laurence woke with a start from a light tap on his shoulder.

"You were dreaming again," Darra whispered as she looked back towards Padme and Anakin.

Laurence groaned softly and sat up, rubbing his eyes. It seemed he had only been asleep a few minutes before the nightmares started again. Noting that Darra had woken him before he blew his cover, he nodded his thanks.

"Was it your mother again?" Darra asked in a hushed tone as she sat down across from him.

Laurence sighed. "I haven't been able to contact them yet," he said in an equally quiet voice. "No one's picking up the comlink."

"You're worried," Darra stated the obvious.

"I have to back to Tatooine," Laurence told her, his eyes filled with worry. "But I can't leave Padme when she's in danger. I'm torn between her and my mother." He shook his head. "I'm not sure what to do."

"Go to your mother," Darra ordered without a second thought. "We can watch over the Senator, Anakin and..." Her voice trailed off as she remembered that the Anakin she knew at the temple was not the Jedi he claimed to be.

"That's why I can't go back," Laurence said as he ran a hand through his black hair. "I can't tell if he is a threat or just a victim of someone else's grand scheme."

"A victim?" Darra asked in puzzlement. "What do you mean?"

Laurence stared into the distance, his eyes thoughtful. "I don't think he knows what's going on," Laurence finally explained. "I think he's just... lost. Like I was when I left the temple." He looked up at Darra, his face perplexed. "He doesn't just look like me, Darra. It's like he... he _is_ me. His actions and emotions are mirrors of my own, it's just... it's just..."

Laurence shrugged as the words failed to come to his mind. "I don't think he knows who he is, Darra," he finally said faintly. "It's almost as if he thinks he _is_ Anakin Skywalker. But how? That's what I don't understand." Laurence stared ahead at Padme. "But that's why I have to stay here. It's not just for Padme's sake. I'm afraid of what he will become if I'm not there to stop it."

"He's not _you,_ Laurence," Darra insisted sharply. "You can't risk everything just because he has the potential to ruin your name. It doesn't matter what happens to him. _You're_ Anakin Skywalker. He isn't. His actions reflect nothing of who you are."

Laurence shook his head slightly, his gaze serious. "I'm afraid it's not as easy as that, Darra. It's like I'm looking at my own reflection. When you look into a mirror, you see yourself, only backwards. That's what is happening with the other Anakin. He _is_ me, and yet he isn't. He's everything I was in a slightly different way. Whatever happens, I can't leave him on his own to make my mistakes. If he continues this way, I know he'll destroy himself. If that happens, it will prove that I could have turned that way if I had stayed at the temple. I have to prevent that from happening. I need to be there to stop him before it's too late."

Darra shook her head. "I don't understand."

"I know," Laurence smiled slightly. "I don't think anyone could understand right now, except myself."

Darra looked down. "I suppose you're right though." She glanced up at Laurence, her face deathly serious. "Laurence, if what you say is correct, don't be too hard on him. He's young and arrogant, but he's not a bad person. If he is going to change, he needs gentle guidence - not a lecture."

Laurence looked up in surprise.

Darra smiled softly. "Well weren't you the one who said he's just like you were at a younger age? He already has enough people angry with him. Don't put yourself on that list."

Laurence's brow furrowed. Of course! How could he have been such an idiot! Here he was, trying to save his 'identical twin,' and he was acting just like every Jedi Master that had driven him from the temple! Laurence flushed in shame. He was treating 'Anakin' no better than Obi-wan had. Darra was right. The padawan didn't need more lectures. He needed someone to believe in him.

...

As Padme ate, she watched Darra and Laurence out of the corner of her eye. Darra's position hid Laurence from her view for the most part, but Padme could tell they seemed to be discussing something very important.

Peering around slightly, Padme noticed that hand signals were absent. Were they using some form of Jedi technique to communicate?

Just then R2 whirred over and handed them an extra slice of bread and a bowl of soup.

"Thank you, R2," Padme said politely. She decided to let the matter go concerning the two. It wasn't right for her to be snooping around when Laurence trusted her so implicitely.

"It must be difficult having sworn your life to the Jedi," Padme commented to Anakin as she distracted her mind from Laurence and Darra. "Not being able to visit the places you like, or do the things you like..."

"Or be with the people that I love?" Anakin filled in.

Padme hesitated a moment. "Are you allowed to love? I thought that was forbidden for a Jedi."

Anakin gave a quick half-smile and looked down a moment. "Attachment is forbidden," he confirmed, looking into her eyes. "Possession is forbidden. Compassion which... I would term as unconditional love... is central to a Jedi's life." He grinned, his eyes twinkling. "So you might say... we are encouraged to love."

Padme stared into his eyes, her mind turning in circles. Something was different about him. Something she hadn't seen before, or had been too busy to notice. There was a devotion in his gaze, a deep, heartfelt fervor that she had only seen in one person... her beloved Laurence.

Suddenly Padme was back in the Coruscant underlevels, gazing into the clear blue eyes of a seventeen year old boy who had saved her from what could have turned into a deathly nightmare. Deep and compassionate, his eyes reflected his every thought and emotion.

Those same blue eyes were identical those of the young man sitting across from her. Padme felt her heart pounding as she found herself sinking in the ocean blue gaze of her Jedi protector.

Scolding herself for her loss of control, Padme kicked her foot against the table to jolt her mind out of its reverie. But she couldn't get the thought out of her head.

"You've changed so much," she finally told Anakin.

"You haven't changed a bit," Anakin said softly, his gentle voice speaking volumes. "You're exactly the way I remember you in my dreams.

Padme felt her heart skip a beat against her will. Not trusting the way her emotions were acting against her, she turned back to her soup and silently ended the conversation.

...

Anakin took a deep breath of the clean, fresh air of Naboo. He had nearly forgotten how beautiful the planet was. The atmosphere itself was peaceful and serene, soothing his restless emotions.

As he helped Padme off the ship, he glanced towards Laurence, resentment filling him. For the first time however, Laurence didn't give him a glare of competition or admonishment. Laurence looked concerned for a moment as Anakin helped the Senator, but after a moment's hesitation he nodded to Anakin then picked up Darra's and his own baggage and took his place at Padme's side.

Anakin blinked, wondering what had changed in the guardian's attitude. Had Laurence moved past his apparent hatred towards him? Then a thought struck him. Did _he_ hate Laurence? There had been no reason to; they had just regarded each other as enemies from the first moment they saw each other. Was Laurence moving past that now?

Anakin thought about it, then decided if Laurence wanted to call a truce, he would accept. He still didn't like the guardian much, but as long they were both working to protect Padme's life there was no reason for hostility - _if_ Laurence kept his hands off of the Senator that is.

Anakin smiled as he followed Padme across the sqaure. He felt more lighthearted than he had in months. It was good to be with his angel again.

...

"I wasn't the youngest ever elected," Padme commented to Anakin as they walked up a flight of stairs. "And now that I think back on it I'm not sure that I was old enough. I'm not sure I was ready."

Laurence had removed his hood earlier, and his eyes were alert as he watched for danger. Finally he was where he should be; guarding his angel. He hated hiding his identity as Laurence when Padme needed him to keep her safe.

"The people you served thought you did a good job," Anakin responded to Padme's statement. "I heard they even tried to ammend the constitution so you could stay in office."

"I was relieved when my two terms were up," Padme mentioned, "But when the Queen asked me to accept Senator Organna's offer for a place in the senate, I couldn't refuse her."

"I agree with her," Anakin said. "I think the republic needs you. I'm glad that you chose to serve."

Laurence zoned out the rest of their conversation as he thought about what Darra had said earlier. She was right; Anakin was as lost as Laurence had been before he left the temple. Even now, Laurence still needed a gentle rebuke from a friend every now and then to prevent him from causing further havoc in life.

Straightening his shoulders, Laurence looked back and winked at Darra. With any luck, maybe they could turn his "twin" into a model Jedi.

...

Anakin hated politics. He preffered to act, not sit around and wait for council members to come to a decision.

"If the senate votes to create an army I'm sure it will push us into a civil war," Padme told the Queen of Naboo as they sat in her office.

"It's unthinkable!" one of the council members replied. "There hasn't been a war since the beginnings of the republic."

The Queen turned to Padme. "Do you see any way through negotiations to bring the seperatists back to the republic?"

"Not if they feel threatened," Padme answered. "My guess is they'll turn to the Trade Federation or the Commerist Guilds for help."

"It's outrageous," the council member who had spoken before pointed out, "That after four trials in the supreme court, Nute Gunray is still the viceroy of the trade federation. I fear the senate is powerless to resolve this crisis."

The Queen shrugged slightly. "We must keep our faith in the republic." She stood up, adjourning the meeting. "The day we stop believing democracy will never work is the day we lose it," she commented to Padme.

"Let's pray that day never comes," Padme replied.

"In the meantime we must consider your own safety," the Queen pointed out. "I realize that Laurence is far more than capable of protecting you, but even he cannot prevent everything."

"What is your suggestion, Master Jedi?" a council member questioned Anakin.

"Oh, Anakin's not a Jedi yet," Padme said quickly. "He's still a padawan learner."

Anakin felt his blood boil at her words. "Hold on a minute," he said sharply.

"Excuse me," Padme said curtly before continuing to speak to the queen about safety measures.

Anakin started to speak but was stopped as Laurence shot him a worried glance and shook his head slightly.

Caught off guard, Anakin paused long enough for Darra to sidle over and whisper, "She lives here, Anakin. I think she knows what she's talking about."

Anakin gave a sharp nod and remained silent. As much as he hated to admit it, he could have made a fool of himself in front of the Naboo council. Casting Darra a grateful look, he followed Padme as she finished explaining her plans of staying in the Lake Country to the Queen.

"Perfect. It's settled then," the Queen said as they left the council room.

...

Laurence leaned against the doorway and watched Padme and Anakin walk together across the extensive balcony. He felt oddly left out, as though his 'twin' had somehow managed to worm his way into the senator's heart, pushing Laurence out bit by bit.

Laurence felt a flare of jealousy take over his emotions. How could he let this _imposter_ take his angel! How could Padme even be falling for him in the first place?

"You're going to fry your Jedi look-alike to a crisp if you keep glaring at him like that," a soft voice came from behind Laurence.

He glanced back to see Darra standing there, an amused smile on her face.

"He shouldn't be around her," Laurence said heatedly.

"He has every right to be with Padme as you do," Darra pointed out. "But if it bothers you so much, why don't you do something about it? You and Padme have known each other far longer than Anakin. Maybe she just wants you to make the first move."

Yes, and then tell her he had been lying this whole time? A week ago things would have been different. One week ago he could have swept Padme into his arms and told her he was her cousin Sheldon and she still would have loved him.

But now...

How could you tell someone that you had an 'identical twin' who was openly proffessing their love while for years you had remained silent? How could he expect Padme to trust him when he had been lying to her for so long a time? If the imposter hadn't come, she no doubt would have gladly accepted him. But now that '_he_' was here, all of Laurence's plans had been decimated. How could Laurence tell Padme that 'her Anakin' was a fake?

Suddenly his heart stopped cold.

..

Darra saw Laurence stiffen, his face draining of all color. Looking towards the waterfront, she realized why. In one week Anakin had accomplished what Laurence had taken years to get to but never been able to achieve; he and Padme were kissing for the first time.

"How could she," Laurence whispered, hurt and betrayal written all over his face.

"Laurence, I'm sure she doesn't - " Darra's words were ignored as Laurence swiftly turned and left the room.

..

How could he have expected anything different? He had always been too careful, too reserved. Now Laurence could see the results of his prolonged silence. Padme had indeed fallen in love with Anakin Skywalker, but she had chosen the man who went out of his way to tell her how much he cared for her. Laurence had always waited, hoping to find the perfect moment when she wasn't caught up in politics.

Now he was too late.

Ignoring Sora's questioning glance, Laurence strode blindly towards his speeder and took off. Anakin would obviously be able to look after Padme for the next couple of hours.

Docking his ship a little ways away from Padme's house, his mind went over the balcony scene. She had betrayed him. For nearly two years he had given her his entire devotion, yet she had turned away the minute his look-alike entered the scene.

Perhaps he had been fooling himself this entire time; she had always loved Anakin Skywalker, not Laurence Stalin. She longed for the Jedi, not the security guard.

Resting his head in his hands, Laurence finally allowed himself to cry.

...

**Sad chapter! (No, killing the author is not allowed according to mandate 210 paragraph four section C.) **

** I suspect that was an unexpected twist for many of the readers, but that's what makes this story unique. :) I love all the suggestions and theories I get in the reviews, but this is the first story where I'm going completely according to my own plot instead of trying to match everything according to what the readers hope to see occur.**

** Reviews would be appreciated - the more reviews I get the faster I update. :)**


	10. Revelations on Kamino

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you, The Tainted Knight, for your suggestion about Kamino. I wasn't sure if it would work into the story at first, but I think it actually helps some things make more sense.**

**This chapter is about Obi-wan's trip to the cloning base.**

**...**

The first thing Obi-wan noted about Kamino was that it was _wet_. Rain poured from the skies, drenching him the moment he opened his cockpit. Several times he would have slipped on the slick landing platform had he not been aided by the force. As it was, Obi-wan was feeling most unhappy by the time he reached the door.

It slid open at his approach, revealing white corridors and blaring lights. A tall, long-necked, white creature with elegant fingers and large eyes approached, it's willowy figure giving it the appearance of floating as it walked.

"Master Jedi," the Kaminoan said in a lilting, musical tone. "The prime minister is expecting you."

Obi-wan was taken aback. "I'm expected?" he questioned.

"Of course!" she insisted in a calm voice. "He is anxious to meet you. After all these years, we were beginning to think you weren't coming." She blinked lazily, her movements liquid but slow. "Now please, this way."

She led him down the long corridor towards a set of doors which parted before them. The room inside was just as bland as the hallway, with no furniture aside from a spoon shaped chair where the prime minister was seated.

"May I present Lama Su, prime minister of Kamino," the female Kaminoan waved a four fingered hand towards the prime minister, who stood at Obi-wan's arrival.

Obi-wan bowed respectfully to the prime minister, who dipped his head in return.

The female Kaminoan indicated to Obi-wan next. "And this is Master Jedi..."

"Obi-wan Kenobi," he filled in.

"I trust you are going to enjoy your stay," Lama Su said politely. He held out a hand to another bowl shaped chair that extended from the ceiling. "Please."

Obi-wan took a seat, and the prime minister returned to his own chair.

"And now to business," Lama-Su commenced. "You will be delighted to hear that we are on schedule. Two-thousand units are ready, with a million more well on the way."

"That's... good news." Obi-wan was puzzled, but he knew the best way to get information was to play along.

Lama Su swayed a little as he spoke. "Please tell your Master Sipho-Dias that his order will be met on time."

Now Obi-wan was completely lost. "I-I'm sorry, Master - ?"

The prime minister cleared his throat slightly. "Jedi Master Sipho-Dias is still a leading member of the council, is he not?"

"Master Sipho-Dias was killed almost ten years ago," Obi-wan informed him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that," Lama Su said in an emotionless tone. "But I'm sure he would've been proud of the army we've built for him."

"The army?" Obi-wan asked. This was getting more and more confusing.

"Yes," Lama Su answered. "The clone army. And I must say, one of the finest we've ever created."

Obi-wan blinked. "Tell me, Prime Minister," he said carefully, "When my master first contacted you about the army, did - did he say what it was for?"

"Of course he did," Lama Su replied as he brushed something off his robe. "_This_ army is for the republic."

Obi-wan raised his eyebrows. The republic had ordered no such army as far as the Jedi knew.

"But you must be anxious to inspect the units for yourself," the prime minister noted.

Obi-wan shrugged. "That's..why I'm here," he lied.

The prime minister stood, and Obi-wan followed him to the door.

...

"Very impressive," Obi-wan commented as the Kaminoans led him down the hall. He was truly astounded at the sight. Hundreds of thousands of embryos were contained in liquid-filled glass tubes, stretching out as far as the Jedi could see.

"I hoped you would be pleased," Lama Su answered. He egarly began to explain his master work. "Clones can think creatively. You will find that they are immensly superior to droids. We take great pride in our command education and training programs." He led Obi-wan to another window, where he could see an older group of clones working at computers. "This group was created about five years ago."

"You mentioned growth acceleration," Obi-wan commented.

"Oh yes, it's essential," Lama Su replied. "Otherwise a mature clone would take a _lifetime_ to grow. Now we can do it in half the time."

"I see," Obi-wan said as they viewed a troup of fully matured clones in what could have been termed as the 'dining room.'

"They are totally obedient, taking any order without question," Lama Su explained. "We modified their genetic structure to be less independent than the original host."

"And who was the original host?" Obi-wan questioned.

"A bounty hunter called Jango Fett," the prime minister replied.

Obi-wan remained calm, but his suspicions grew. "And where is this bounty hunter now?" he asked innocently.

"Oh, we... keep him here," Lama Su said vaguely before continuing on the tour. "Apart from his pay, which is considerable, Fett demanded only one thing: an unaltered clone for himself. Curious, isn't it?"

"Unaltered?" Obi-wan pressed for further information.

"Pure, genetic information. No tampering with the structure to make it more docile, and no growth acceleration."

"I would very much like to meet this Jango Fett," Obi-wan said carefully.

"I would be very happy to arrange it for you," the female Kaminoan said.

Obi-wan went through an open doorway to a balcony overlooking the brigades of fully armed clones. He felt a chill run up and down his spine as hundreds of thousands of clones marched across the room.

"Magnificent, aren't they?" Lama Su pointed out with great pride in his monotone.

Obi-wan said nothing. He had a bad feeling about this.

..

About half an hour later, the female Kaminoan, who introduced herself as Taun We, guided him through the brightly lit white corridors towards Jango's apartment.

The serenity of the simple building was suddenly disrupted as a small boy of about eleven ran through the hall, shoving past Tan We and barreling unexpectedly into Obi-wan.

"Teff," Taun We said in a calm voice with a slight scold to it. "We told you not to run in the halls."

Obi-wan helped the boy up, then held his wrists away as the eleven year old lashed a fist out at him. A horrifying sense of deja vu came over Obi-wan. "Who is this this boy?" he asked Taun We.

"LET GO OF ME YOU KRIFFING IDIOT!" the kid shouted as he twisted and kicked at Obi-wan's shins. "LET ME GO OR I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Teff," Taun We said in a soothing tone, "That is not a very polite thing to say."

Obi-wan sighed in frustration as the boy kept squirming and finally kneeled down, pinning the boy's arms to his sides and calming his struggles somewhat. Studying the boy closely, Obi-wan drew in a sharp breath.

The boy was Anakin.

Blazing pale blue eyes stared at Obi-wan, hatred and fury practically leaking from every pore in the boy's body. His hair had been cut to resemble a padawan buzz cut except for a long ponytail at the back. The boy wore a simple dark blue tunic and trousers, and due to the vicious kicks to his shin guards, Obi-wan was quite relieved to note that he wasn't wearing boots.

"I SAID LET GO OF ME YOU BIG OLD - "

"Teff, we do _not_ yell," Taun We said calmly.

"Teff? Is that your name?" Obi-wan asked the boy in what he tried to make a friendly tone.

"What's it to you? I told you to unhand me!" Teff began his struggles anew.

Obi-wan's face paled. He could feel the dark side of the force rolling off the boy, but there was no sense that Teff acknowledged its power. He frantically searched his mind, wondering what he would have told Anakin if his padawan had experienced a similar temper tantrum. His mind drew a blank.

"I'm not letting you go until you stand still and listen to me for a moment," he finally said firmly. Obi-wan had never known how to deal with Anakin even when he _wasn't_ having a temper tantrum, so he treated the boy the same as he would any other spoiled brat.

Teff began struggling again, and Obi-wan stepped back slightly, just in time to keep one well aimed kick from reaching its target. "I can wait here all day, you know," Obi-wan said calmly. "You can go ahead and keep fighting as long as you like. It won't change anything."

After a few minutes Teff finally stopped his screaming and settled down, twitching every now and then in his undisguised fury at being held back.

"You done?" Obi-wan asked in a quieter tone.

Teff glared at him, then stiffly nodded.

Obi-wan forced a smile. "My name is Obi-wan Kenobi. I take it your name is Teff ..."

"Just Teff," the boy said sulkily. "Why do you want to know?"

Obi-wan hestitated, wondering how much he should say. "You reminded me of an old friend," he finally answered. "And I wanted to know who you were."

"Well now you know!" Teff shouted. "Now will you let me go already?"

Obi-wan felt his irritation grow. "You know, I have a padawan who's just like you. And I never let him talk to me that way."

"I ain't doing nothing wrong!" Teff defended himself. Suddenly his face cleared as he tilted his head to the side. "What padawan?" Excitement took over his features. "You mean I look like a Jedi?"

Obi-wan blinked, trying to catch up to the rapid transition of Teff's mood. "Yes," he answered. "His name is Anakin."

"Are you a Jedi?" Teff asked in enthusiasm.

Obi-wan smiled tightly. "Yes, I'm a Jedi."

Teff's eyes widened in admiration. "Whoah," he said as he relaxed in Obi-wan's grip. "Can I see your lightsaber?"

"Teff, the Jedi is here on important business," Taun We spoke up. "He doesn't have time for this. You should return to your room."

"I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE! AND WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO ORDER ME AROUND? I DON'T EVEN LIKE YOU!"

"That's enough!" Obi-wan's shout surprised the boy into submission. Obi-wan took a deep breath and tried to speak calmly. "You see Taun We? She is responsible for you. That means you have to obey her, even if you don't like it."

"Why?"

The question was so alike to Anakin's during their meeting with Padme.

"Because they're older than you," Obi-wan answered. "They know more than you, and they have the responsibility of passing on that knowledge."

"Well I hate them!" Teff protested.

"Anger will not accomplish anything," Obi-wan found himself giving an age old lecture that Jedi Masters had passed on through the centuries. "All it will do is cause you further pain."

The boy glared at him but listened.

"When you use your anger, do you feel better about it?" Obi-wan asked.

"Yeah," Teff scoffed.

"Does it make you a better person?"

Teff blinked. Obviously he had never been faced with this point of view before.

"No..." he said slowly. Suddenly he looked ashamed. "Sometimes I feel bad about it afterwards," Teff whispered to Obi-wan, glancing back at Taun We to make sure she hadn't heard.

"But does yelling at someone change the circumstances that made you feel bad?"

Teff looked down and shook his head.

Obi-wan released his loose hold on the boy's arms and turned him to Taun We. "When you shout at her, you hurt her," he explained. "Not only that, but you hurt yourself. Taun We wants to teach you how to be a better person, but she can't do that if you don't listen to her. Do you understand?"

The boy thought a moment, then nodded. "Do I have to apologize?" he whispered reluctantly in Obi-wan's ear.

"I think it would make her feel better," Obi-wan replied in a hushed tone.

Teff rolled his eyes and turned to Taun We. "I'm sorry I shouted, but I'm not sorry I got mad..." he cringed and looked up at the tall Kaminoan, his voice doubtful. "Can you really teach me to be a better person? Like a Jedi?"

"Of course," Taun We replied serenely. "All you had to do was ask."

Teff shrugged, tilted his head as though thinking, then dashed back the way he had come. After only a few steps he suddenly collapsed as one leg gave out under him, but he quickly scrambled up and continued running.

"Teff is a little... uncontrollable," Taun We said calmly. "He's been this way since he was created."

"He's a clone?" Obi-wan voiced his suspicions.

"Oh yes," Taun We replied. "He's the only one of three that survived. We've cloned hundreds of them, but there were far too many complications. We had to discontinue several years ago."

"Complications?" Obi-wan's gut clenched. They had tried to created hundreds of clones of a Jedi. Not only that, but it had been the Chosen One himself!

"It seemed that the genetic coding would not process correctly," Taun We explained. "Most of the embryos did not fully develope. Those that did never lived longer than a few years."

Obi-wan tried to sound casual. "And what of the three that survived?"

"One of them died only last week. He was nearly mature, but his emotional structure suddenly collapsed. We are not sure what caused it." Taun We's tone had little fluctuation as usual. It was as though such occurences happened every day. "We are doing what we can to keep Teff alive, but as you can see his physical and mental state has never been stable."

"Is he always angry like that?" Obi-wan asked.

Taun We shrugged slightly. "His mood fluctuates constantly. Sometimes he behaves well, while at other times he acts like you saw him today. His greatest wish is to become a better person, however. I am grateful that you encouraged him in that area."

Obi-wan hesitated for a moment. "What about the third clone?"

"Our first clone was created ten years ago. After it died two days later, the Jedi Master who ordered these clones personally oversaw the his raising of its successor. The second clone was the only one we have created that ever met the Jedi's expectations."

"You mean, Master Sipho-Dias?" Obi-wan asked.

Taun We shook her head slowly. "Master Sipho-Dias did not order these clones. We are not allowed to give the name of the one who asked for them."

Obi-wan was getting even more concerned over the situation, but he knew he would get no further information from Taun We over the Jedi. "What happened to the clone? The one that the Jedi Master wanted?"

"We do not know," Taun We replied. "The Jedi returned for him over four years ago. What happened afterwards was not our concern."

Obi-wan's face paled. Somewhere in the galaxy there was a possibility that Anakin's clone was still alive. "Did any of these clones have the same genetic treatment as the army you showed me?"

Taun We inclined her head. "They each received the growth accelleration, however the Jedi insisted their wills remain intact. Of course, we discovered over time that we would have to provide many other alterations to ensure that they survived."

"And yet only one is still here," Obi-wan pointed out.

Taun We nodded. "Despite all our efforts, we could not completely replicate their genetic information. Only the clone your Jedi personally raised was able to reach perfection."

"Do you have an idea what the Jedi wanted them for?" Obi-wan asked.

"He provided no information," Taun We replied. "He specifically paid us for our silence in the matter."

Obi-wan nodded, his thoughts racing. "You say that the one clone that 'reached perfection' was raised by the Jedi. Do you know what methods he used to do this?"

"His methods were not like anything we have seen before," Taun We admitted. "He seemed very concerned in how many hours the clone spent meditating. Apparently he felt it was vital to the clone's survival. I believe there were also several blood transfusions over the course of five years, perhaps given by the original owner."

Obi-wan's blood ran cold. Any Jedi could have accessed the medical ward during one of the times Anakin was unconscious from a mission. While it would certainly be difficult to get past the medics, it was not impossible for a Jedi to take some of Anakin's blood. But who - ?

"Here we are," Taun We disrupted his thoughts as she pressed a button next to one of the many identical doors along the corridor. The door swished open to reveal a dark haired boy with a scowling expression.

"Boba, is your father here?" Taun We asked.

The boy nodded curtly. "Yep."

"May we see him?"

"Sure." Boba cast Obi-wan a suspicious glance but stepped aside to let them to enter. "Dad, Taun We's here," he called.

Obi-wan coudl feel Boba's dark gaze on him. It was the second time now that he'd had a child glare at him like that.

"Jango, welcome back," Taun We said as a dark haired man entered the room. "Was your trip productive?"

"Fairly," Jango replied.

"This is Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi," Taun We introduced. "He's come to check on our progress."

"Your clones are very impressive, you must be very proud." Obi-wan's voice was terse, and felt he could cut the tension with a knife.

"I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe," Jango replied.

"Ever made your way as far into the inner core as Coruscant?"

Jango's gaze shifted. "Once or twice."

"Recently?" Obi-wan interrogated.

Jango looked amused at the question. "Possibly."

"Then you must know Master Sipho-Dias," Obi-wan hinted.

Jango was silent. Walking over to Boba, he said something in a foreign language, then turned back to Obi-wan as the boy walked away. "Master who?"

"Sipho-Dias," Obi-wan repeated. "Is he not the Jedi who hired you for this job?"

Jango walked up and stared at him suspiciously for a moment. "Never heard of him."

"Really?" Obi-wan asked.

"I was recruited by a man called Tyrannus on one of the moons of Bogdan."

"Curious," Obi-wan replied. It was like a cold war of impeccable politeness.

"Do you like your army?" Jango asked after a moment of silence.

"I look forward to seeing them in action," Obi-wan answered.

"They'll do their job well, I guarentee that."

"Thank you for your time, Jango," Obi-wan said simply as he bowed.

"Always a pleasure to meet a Jedi," Jango replied with equal coldness.

...

"Tell your master that the first battalions are ready," Taun We told Obi-wan as they returned to his ship. "And remind them, if they need more troops it will take time to grow them."

"I won't forget, and thank you," Obi-wan smiled as he bowed.

"Thank_ you_," Taun We answered.

Obi-wan put his hood up and started to leave.

"Wait! Obi-wan!"

Obi-wan turned around as Teff raced down the corridor. The boy stumbled and nearly fell, but he supported himself against the wall and ran to the Jedi's side.

"Can I come with you?" Teff asked.

Obi-wan was struck by the determined blue eyes, so alike to his own padawan at that age.

"Teff, you know you need to stay here," Taun We said in her slow, serene voice. "If you don't have your medicine you will not be able to survive."

"Can't I just go for a little bit?" Teff said hopefully. "Just one day?"

"I'm sorry, but Taun We is right," Obi-wan fumbled. "Besides, I don't have room for a passenger. My ship can only carry one person."

Teff's eyes filled with tears, wrenching Obi-wan's heart. "I could ride in the storage compartment..." his voice trailed off. Turning abruptly, he ran back down the hall.

Obi-wan sighed. "Is it absolutely impossible for him to come to Coruscant?" More than anything, he was concerned about Teff's force capabilities. If the boy ever learned to use his power without proper training, he could be a dire threat.

"If he does not have his medications, he will not be able to live," Taun We shook her head.

Nodding his understanding Obi-wan walked out into the rain. "R-4," he called to his droid as he approached the ship. "Scramble code 5 to Coruscant, care of the old folks home."

The holographic images of Masters Yoda and Mace Windu soon appeared.

"I have successfully made contact with the prime minister of Kamino," Obi-wan shouted over the pouring rain. "They are using a bounty hunter name Jango Fett to create a cloned army. I have a strong feeling that this bounty hunter is the assasin we are looking for."

"Do you think these cloners are involved in the plot to assasinate Senator Amidala?" Mace Windu asked.

"No, Master, there appears to be no motive." Obi-wan drew his cloak tightly around himself as the rain poured down.

"Do not assume anything, Obi-wan," Master Yoda reminded. "Clear, your mind must be, if you are to discover the real villains of this plot."

"Yes, Master," Obi-wan shouted, trying to be heard over the wind. "They say Master Sipho-Dias placed an order for a cloned army, but the request was sent over ten years ago. I was under the impression that he was killed before that. Did the council ever authorize the creation of a cloned army?"

"No," Mace Windu answered. "Whoever placed that order did not have the authorization of the Jedi Council."

"Bring him in," Yoda said, refferring to Jango. "Question him, we will."

"Yes Master," Obi-wan replied. "There's one more thing, though: Did the council ever send an order for a clone of Anakin Skywalker?"

He saw Yoda and Mace Windu exchange a glance.

"What have you discovered?" Mace Windu asked.

"Apparently the Kaminoans have been trying to create a clone of him for ten years now," Obi-wan informed. "So far only one is known to be alive. He's a young boy, only eleven. I'm worried about his connection to the force. He has a strong emotional inbalance."

"Dangerous, this boy could be," Yoda answered. "Teach him to control himself, we must."

"If the situation is as bad as you say, we might not be able to train him," Mace Windu pointed out. "Bring him to the council. It is imperative that the Sith do not find him."

"Yes Master," Obi-wan replied. Teff would be glad to hear that. "I will report back when I have them." He turned off the holograph and returned to the building.

Teff was standing at the door, and his face lit up when he saw Obi-wan. "You changed your mind, didn't you!" he shouted in exhuberance.

"Get your things," Obi-wan replied. "I'll need a list of your medical treatment from Taun We."

"Yipee!" Teff was off again, his stumbling limp not detterring his excitement.

Obi-wan frowned as he felt a shift in the force. Running towards a landing platform on the other side of the building, he arrived just in time to see Jango leaving. The bounty hunter was wearing the same armor as the assasin who had tried to murder Senator Amidala.

...

**Author's Note: Nothing is changed from the movie in this section, so I'm leaving the fight out so that I can get to the next chapter.**

**...**

Obi-wan tossed the tracker onto Jango's ship as it flew away. All he had to do now was follow it.

"Can we leave now, Obi-wan?" Teff asked as Obi-wan returned indoors. The boy was packed and ready, a bright smile on his face.

Obi-wan sighed. Chasing a bounty hunter across the galaxy was no place for a child, especially one as weak as Teff.

"I can't take you now," Obi-wan said heavily. "I'm so sorry, but there's been complications."

Teff's eyes filled with tears. "You - YOU LIED TO ME! I thought you were going to take me with you!"

"Teff I will come back for you, I promise," Obi-wan reassured the boy. "I just - "

"NO! YOU LIED TO ME! I HATE YOU! DON'T EVER COME BACK!" Teff pushed Obi-wan angrily and raced off, throwing his pack against the wall.

Obi-wan wanted to follow, but he had more pressing things to attend you. Running back to his ship, he quickly fired up the controls and took off after the bounty hunter.

...

**Four years ago...**

_ "He is ready now, prime minister. He will leave with me immediately."_

_ "The clone has not yet reached his full maturity," Lama Su warned. _

_ "It is enough. I will continue the growth treatments as long as I consider neccessary. My apprentice will come for the supplies."_

_ Watching the young clone under his hood, Sidious smiled triumphantly. For six years he had kept the boy in a forced meditation, joining his young mind to that of Anakin Skywalker. The young Jedi had never noticed the intrusion; his clone's mind was identical to his own. Allowing the two to share Anakin's past memories was simple enough._

_ The hard part had been keeping the clone alive. After the utter failure with the first clone, Sidious had personally taken over the experiments. The Kaminoans had created the genetic structure, while Sidious had altered the medichlorians, forcing them to manipulate a life force that would not snap under the pressure of the living outside its original identity._

_ For six years he had twisted the medichlorians inside the boy, all the time feeding Anakin's memories into him by the force. Even when the clone was awake he was still experiencing Anakin's life. _

_ When the clone's body began to shut down and reject the mutated medichlorians, Sidious knew it was time to take drastic measures. Over the next few months he used the force to coerce the clone to remain alive, all the while creating a series of traps for the real Anakin to fall into. With time and patience his apprentice was able to sneak into the medical lab enough times to collect the vital blood supply needed for the clone. After a little over half of the clone's blood cells had been replaced, his medichlorians finally stopped rejecting his body. _

_ The clone had made amazing progress since then, and Sidious knew it was finally time to train him. It would be difficult to teach the boy's body to follow the lightsaber patterns his mind knew by heart, but it could be done. _

_ If the time came to dispose of Anakin Skywalker, he would withdraw the clone's mind and allow him to live out the life of his replacement. When that time came, no one would be able to tell the two apart._

...

**I never intended to put Teff in this story, but he helps to explain the difficulties with cloning a Jedi. Teff is not a cannon character, but he will come back later. I hope this helps explain the cloning process a little more. Thank you again to The Tainted Knight for suggesting this chapter. :)**


	11. In Her Eyes

Laurence watched as Anakin and Padme laughed easily together a short distance away. The three of them, as well as Darra, had hiked towards the waterfalls a little ways from the house for a picnic. Somewhere along the line Anakin and Padme had separated from the group. Laurence felt a numbing pain as he recognized that only a few weeks ago, Padme wouldn't have left him for the world. Now everything was different.

A week ago Laurence had witness his "twin" steal Padme's first kiss, and now Anakin appeared to have laid full claim to her heart. Worse, Padme had given it to him. She hadn't surrendered it entirely of course, for every politician has to face the duties of their office first, but it was only a matter of time.

Strangely enough, Laurence felt oddly detached from the whole thing. The deep, wrenching pain was still there whenever he saw Anakin and Padme together, but it was almost as if he was breaking away from it. Laurence looked down and tore at a few strands of grass. The hurt at Padme's betrayal, however unintentional, would stay with him for a long time. Perhaps it would never fully go away. Perhaps -

"Coruscant to Laurence! Come in please!" Darra's teasing voice shattered his reverie.

Laurence looked up, slightly startled, and smiled in emberrassment. _"Sorry, I was thinking about something."_

Darra raised an eyebrow. "Really? I never would have guessed," she said with light sarcasm.

Laurence glanced towards Anakin and Padme a moment. _"Do you think it's safe for us to talk without them hearing us?"_ he signed.

Darra rolled her eyes. "I doubt they'd even be listening right now." She sighed and cupped her chin in her hands. "They were just discussing one of Padme's old friends. One of those with, oh, you know, dark and dreamy eyes and beautiful - "

"Please, no need to go into detail," Laurence grimaced. "How you ladies can talk about that all day is beyond me."

Darra laughed, her short blond hair swinging in the breeze. She had changed over the years. Her honey blond hair had lightened considerably, and her manner was more serious. She looked so much like Siri Tachi now, though her unusual rust colored eyes still sparkled with her old humor.

"So where's Soarra?" Laurence asked after a silent moment. "I noticed she wasn't there when - "

"Soarra's dead," Darra said shortly, her eyes filling with tears. "She was killed during a mission a year ago."

Laurence sat back, stunned by the news. "I'm so sorry, Darra," he finally said.

"I'm fine," Darra brushed the moisture from her eyes. "Jedi aren't supposed to dwell on the past."

Laurence's face hardened at the old lecture. "Jedi are human too, Darra. You can't just bottle it inside." His voice was soft. "I know how much she meant to you."

Darra put her head in her hands as a sharp sob escaped. Laurence was at her side in an instant, pulled her close as she cried her heart out.

"I miss her so much," Darra choked out.

"I know," Laurence said as he rocked her gently. "I know."

...

Padme glanced over towards the other two, and felt her heart skip a beat when she saw Darra in Laurence's arms. A strange feeling of jealosy took over her and she started to stand up.

"Leave them," Anakin said quickly as he put a hand on her arm.

Padme stared at him in frustration, but from the look on his face she realized he must be sensing something she had missed.

"She lost her master a year ago," Anakin explained. "She's never said anything about it though. I've been worried for her."

Padme felt compassion wash over her as she watched the girl cry. Turning her gaze away so as not to let the two know she had been watching, she began picking up the empty dishes and leftover food.

"Laurence has always been there when someone was hurting," Padme said thoughtfully. "I've always considered that to be was one of his greatest strengths. He was always around when I needed him."

"He's a good person," Anakin agreed. His words seemed weighted though, as though he were asking her something.

Padme was confused. Could it be that Anakin was afraid of her feelings for Laurence? Were his fears justified? She had always cared so much about Laurence - even to the point that she felt she could have loved him were it not for her position as Naboo's ruler. But now... now her heart was torn between two people.

Laurence was quiet and held back, his long-suffering patience broken only by random spurts of insanity when he dashed through the hallways or drove his speeder fast enough to have Padme lecture him about Naboo traffic laws. Anakin on the other hand was daring and adventerous, never fearing to speak his mind or bend the rules when it suited his purposes.

Both young men had that fiercely devoted gaze when they looked at her. They both had that same cheeky grin and the ability to make Padme laugh, and they each had those crystal blue eyes that reflected their innermost feelings.

Comparing both of them, Padme couldn't choose. Laurence was calm, but Anakin had passion. Anakin was outgoing, but Laurence knew when to hold back. Laurence had that quiet strength of one who knew how to fight in the shadows, but Anakin had the proud bearing of a Jedi. Laurence had that silent and devoted gaze which spoke volumes, while Anakin told her openly of his feelings for her.

Then Padme realized that either way it didn't matter. She was a senator. Marriage had no place in the life of a diplomat. Ordering her heart to stop playing games with her mind, she tried to ignore the peristant feelings.

...

_Half an hour later._

Laurence burst out laughing as he watched Anakin try and balance on one of the giant flea-like mammals found in Naboo's pastures. His mind whirling, he wondered how difficult it would be to drag Anakin into a competition for the "best flea rider."

"Don't." Darra narrowed her eyes in warning as she guessed his thoughts. "If both of you fall off and gets hurt I won't be the one left behind to drag you to a medic."

Laurence chuckled and grabbed another cookie, engulfing half of it in one large bite.

As if on cue to Darra's words, Anakin suddenly lost his balance, spilling to the ground and rolling as the creature trod over him.

Darra and Laurence scrambled to their feet while Padme ran over in horror.

"Ani," she cried out as she rolled him over.

To Laurence's annoyance Anakin burst into infectious giggles, his laughter ringing across the meadow. Padme lightly punched him for causing her such worry, and the two wrestled their way down the hillside.

Laurence's jaw clenched as he watched them, knowing that Padme's heart was slipping further away from him. What else could he do though? How could he tell her that her beloved Ani wasn't the Jedi she thought him to be?

Laurence looked down. He couldn't. He had to face the possibility that he had lost Padme forever.

"Hey, you okay?" Darra asked softly.

Laurence sat down again, trying to block out the sound of Anakin and Padme laughing together below. "I'm fine," he said stiffly.

Darra's eyes were compassionate as she sat down next to him. "No you're not." She gave him a brief hug and rested her head on his shoulder. "Looks like I'm not the only one who needs to stop bottling things inside."

Laurence's mouth twisted in a half smile as he sat in silence. A cool breeze picked up, playing with his hair and causing the sun beams to dance across the lake surface. For some odd reason, in that brief instant everything seemed right with the world.

...

Anakin grinned as he told Padme of his many adventures. For the first time since they had arrived on Naboo, he and the senator were alone. Laurence and Darra had disapeared somewhere, no doubt investigating the house a little ways from Padme's that had been broken into earlier. For the entire morning, Anakin had Padme all to himself.

"...And when I got there, we went into.. agressive negotiations," Anakin explained, turning to thank one of the servants as she brought a plate of fruit over.

"Aggresive negotiations? What's that?" Padme asked.

"Ah, well, negotiations with a lightsaber," Anakin explained, earning a laugh from Padme as she realized the obviousness of the statment.

Padme raised her fork and knife to cut the pear on her plate. Anakin quickly reached out a hand, bringing the pear to his own plate by use of the force. Padme smiled affectionately, watching as he sliced the fruit for her.

Anakin grinned. "If Obi-wan were to catch me doing this he'd be very grumpy," he joked. Raising his hand again, he guided the pear slice to land precisely on the end of Padme's fork.

At that moment Laurence and Darra crashed into the room, both falling as Laurence tripped and accidently knocked Darra's legs out from under her. They burst out laughing at their clumsiness, and Laurence courteously helped Darra to her feet.

"Are you all right?" Padme asked in concern.

"We're fine," Darra reassured her as she took a seat at the table.

"So what happened with the robbery?" Anakin asked, slightly miffed that his time with Padme had been interrupted.

"Oh, it was nothing," Darra shrugged. "Somebody's cat got into the pantry and created a fuss. We spent the last two hours trying to catch the furry menace."

Padme put her fork down, shock mingling with amusement on her features. "Do you mean to tell me that you left Anakin all alone to protect me just so you could go chase some idiotic cat?"

Darra and Laurence exchanged a sheepish glance. _"It was a really big pantry,"_ Laurence signed.

Darra grinned. "Yes, and Laurence managed to dump an entire bag of flour over himself."

"I thought you looked kind of funny wearing a white tunic," Anakin mentioned with dry amusement.

Laurence rolled his eyes. _"Very funny. And that was no ordinary cat."_

"No, we're just really stupid Jedi... that is - I am. You're just a pathetic excuse for a security guard." Darra flushed slightly at her near mistake. Anakin gave her a strange look but Padme didn't appear to have noticed. Darra quickly took a large bite of fruit while Laurence left to get changed, both managing to effectively drop the topic of conversation.

...

Laurence leaned back against the wall as he listened to Anakin and Padme. The hurt inside him had died down to a dull ache as resignation began to fill its place. It didn't hold back his jelousy though as Anakin spoke the words his own heart sang to his angel every day.

Laurence's mouth went dry though as he heard something he had never expected.

"From the moment I met you, all those years ago, not a day has gone by when I haven't thought of you."

Laurence pressed against the wall, his breath coming faster. The imposter had met her before? But how?

Anakin sighed. "And now that I'm with you again, I'm in agony."

Laurence felt a cold fist clench around his heart. Suddenly something inside of him snapped. His eyes darkened and he clenched a fist. He didn't care how Padme felt about his lying! He was going to go right in there and tell her -

"Laurence!" Darra suddenly appeared in front of him, pulling him away from the door and bringing him back to himself. "What are you doing?"

He started to speak, but found his words disapearing into the mist as his gaze met her concerned, rust colored eyes.

Laurence realized what he had almost done. In his fury at the imposter, he had almost blown his cover and worse, damaged Padme forever. Her hurt and betrayal would have been devastating. She likely would never have recovered if he had told her the truth at that moment.

"My heart is beating, hoping that kiss will not become a scar."

Laurence felt Anakin's words pass by him like a dream. All of a sudden life was out of focus. He felt like he was looking into the wrong end of a pair of binoculars.

He didn't care about the imposter. He didn't know why he had been concerned in the first place.

All he could see were those sparkling rust colored eyes.

Suddenly Laurence knew why he had left the temple.

...

Darra stood still, wondering what was coming over her. She couldn't break away from his gaze. Suddenly his blue eyes captivated her, losing her in their fathomless depths.

"Laurence?" she said softly, her breath coming in short gasps.

His eyes questioned, reminding her of how much they reflected his every hope, love, and fear.

"Don't ever talk to me like that," she finally whispered as she heard Anakin continue in the other room.

Laurence didn't have to say anything. He tilted Darra's chin up and gently kissed her. A thousand words were wrapped in that one small gesture.

Darra felt her face grown hot and her heart began to pound. "We can't just do this," she said a moment later, her nerves still vibrating from the touch of his lips. "We can't lie to everyone."

"What would you tell the council?" Anakin asked softly, his eyes serious. "You can't just leave the Jedi order. Not for my sake." At her questioning glance, he shook his head. "Don't ask me to go back there, Darra. That life is behind me now."

Darra stepped back, her mind racing. She had known it all along. Ever since that fateful day on Korriban when Anakin had saved her life, she had known. "I don't care what they say." Her heart was made up. "I've always loved you, Anakin," she hestitated, allowing it to sink in. "But I never realized it until the day I met Laurence."

His heart overwhelmed him at her words. She didn't care about him because he was a Jedi of days long past. She loved him for himself.

"I'll tell the council I'm getting married to you," Darra promised, determination written across her features. "If they tell me to leave, then I will." Her face softened. "I won't lose you again."

His heart singing, Laurence swept her into his arms and kissed her deeply. "No more lies," he promised when he let her go. "If I have to keep my secret identity, then I must. But I will not allow anything further will come between us. I promise."

"But what about the senator?" Darra asked, her voice carrying a sharp edge.

Laurence listened to the conversation in the back room. "I think she'll be well taken care of."

Darra blinked, hope filling her eyes. "You don't care?"

Laurence grinned and tucked a strand of hair behind Darra's ear. "Who were we even talking about?" he pretended to forget.

Yes, his angel would always have a special place in his heart. But now he realized that by following her, he had almost missed someone that was even more important to him.

His Darra.

**...**

** Ha! Total whammie! I think I can positively say that not too many people expected that. I tried to hint at it throughout the chapters, but I can tell it wasn't too obvious, (which I had hoped for).**

** This fic was designed to A). follow the movie, and B). satisfy both Darra/Anakin and Padme/Anakin fans (like myself). I hope you all like the sudden twist in the plot. :)**

** Sorry to all those who had hoped for a Padme/Laurence fic. I promise you, Anakin is not going to be an idiot. He's a little behind maturity wise (like the movie), but he's not going to be stupid. At all. (He will even have a little help along the way to make him a better Jedi.)**

** Also, Laurence hasn't just "abandoned" Padme like she seemed to do with him. They've both seperated onto their own different paths. It evolved over time (note the chapters with Darra), but it took a sudden realization for everything to break free.**

** Review and tell me what you think!**


	12. The Tuskan Encampment

**Author's Note and Questions Answered: **

** I know that a lot of people weren't pleased with the outcome of the last chapter, but I'm afraid that changing it would have forced me to either discontinue the story or completely rewrite the plot (which would probably have ruined it). This plot has developed over years of consideration, and it's fixated around the pairings I chose. I'm sorry I had to disappoint some people, but I hope you will still enjoy the story. :) **

** I want to give a big thank you to those who are sticking with the story despite the unexpected twist. I almost postponed writing for a couple days, but I got some really nice reviews which encouraged me to continue. **

**Questions:**

** Shattered-Destiny00: A little while ago I realized for myself that the story description does not quite explain this story as a whole. The reason I left it is because this is a two part fic. The description covers both the entire story and the AOTC arc at the same time. I will probably use the same description (with a few changes) for part two.**

** Floating Leaves: I had always thought Sifo-Dyas was really Dooku using a former Jedi's name, but I looked on Wookiepedia and found out that Sipho-Dyas really had ordered the clone army. He did so in secret because of his vision fortelling a galactic war, but Dooku was informed about it because he was a close friend. Dooku in turn gave the information to Sidious, who decided they could use the army for their own purposes. (For the record, Dooku also murdered Sipho-Dyas after he turned to the dark side.)**

**... **

Anakin's eyes shot open and for a moment he didn't know where he was. He could still see his mother's face even after waking. Her screams echoed in his brain, haunting him.

Sitting up abruptly, Anakin rubbed his face and tried to calm himself. It was no use. He could still see Shmi's face contorted in pain, blood running down her chin.

Thrusting aside the covers, he quickly threw on a shirt and walked outside, breathing in the sharp, cool night air. Despite his distaste for meditation, Anakin always found that he relished having several hours alone to think, when he felt upset.

Dawn was less than an hour away. Already the birds had begun calling to each other, their trilling songs shattering the silence of the early morning. Normally this would have calmed Anakin somewhat, but this time he could find no peace in the stillness. His mind was churning, going over the grisly scene again and again. For weeks he had been having the same nightmare, and each time the warning felt stronger.

His mom was in trouble, and he could do nothing to stop it. Anakin felt helpless. He hated that feeling.

He couldn't leave Padme alone after he had sworn to protect her, but at the same time he knew he had to go help his mom. Anakin couldn't stand it when he was caught between his duty and the people he loved.

Anakin closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, trying to put himself in a meditative state. Something flashed across his mind, a memory he knew didn't belong.

_He was in a closed room, white walls surrounding him. A hand reached down, forced him back into unconsciousness - _

Anakin's eyes shot open. Where these images came from he didn't know, but they often appeared for the quickest second when he was meditating. Were they visions of the future? Perhaps he should have spoken to Yoda about them long before now, but for some reason he felt loathe to tell the Jedi Masters.

Pushing the visions out of his mind, Anakin managed to calm his thoughts to a point. He was still in turmoil however when the sun began to rise hours later.

Anakin felt Padme enter the courtyard and his raging emotions instanly began to quiet. Having her around always made him feel better, no matter how bad the situation. Anakin realized once more how much he had missed her over the years.

His mind went back to the conversation last night. He had openly proffessed his love to her, baring his entire soul in his attempt to make her understand. But Padme had refused. Her duty came first, as Anakin should have expected from a Senator. After that he had left her alone.

Anakin still hoped though, that one day she would let go of her duty and follow what her heart told her to do. Padme had never admitted that she didn't love him.

"Don't go," he said softly as he felt Padme nervously exit the veranda.

She hesitated. "I don't want to disturb you."

Anakin took a deep breath and tried to sound casual. "Your presence is soothing." After their discussion last night, he didn't want to push Padme further away by making it seem like he was still pursuing her.

To his relief she sounded concerned. "You had another nightmare last night." It was a statement, not a question.

Anakin inwardly groaned. He had hoped she hadn't seen his weakness. "Jedi don't have nightmares," he lied.

"I heard you," Padme pointed out.

Anakin realized he had to tell _someone_ about his visions, even if it accomplished nothing. He couldn't stand to hold it back any longer. "I saw my mother," he said softly as he turned to face his angel. "She is suffering, Padme." Anakin's voice cracked slightly as his worry engulfed him. "I saw her as clearly as I see you now."

Anakin turned abruptly away, trying to regain control of his emotions. "She is in pain." Suddenly he knew he not could ignore the visions any longer. "I know I'm disobeying my mandate to protect you, Senator, but I have to go!" He swallowed hard, his eyes pleading for her to understand. "I have to help her!"

"I'll go with you," Padme said.

Anakin shook his head. "No," he objected. "Stay here with Laurence and Darra. I can't risk you being harmed."

"I wasn't offering," Padme said forcefully. "I'm going with you. I can't leave you to do this alone."

"You could be killed," Anakin insisted. "I promised to protect you."

Padme's eyes narrowed shrewdly. "Then you'll just have to bring me along. After all, you can't exactly rescue me when you're halfway across the galaxy."

Anakin started to argue, but in truth he desperately wanted Padme at his side. "All right," he finally said reluctantly. "We'll have to tell Darra and Laurence."

"They left early this morning," Padme shook her head. "They said they'd be back later, but I'm not sure where they went. I'll leave a note for them to find. If the situation is as bad as you fear, we should leave as soon as possible."

Padme knew she wasn't thinking rationally, but then again she had always been one to jump into situations without considering the consequences. It was this irrational behavior that had brought her to Watto's junk shop when she met Anakin, helped her to create an alliance with the Gungan army during the Naboo war, and caused her to hire a seventeen year old brawler who later became her guardian.

No, rational thinking had never gotten her anywhere. Padme believed in action.

"I'm sorry," Anakin apologized over the situation, "But I have no choice."

...

As it turned out, Darra and Laurence were only gone about an hour. They had left on a secret mission of their own, where they simply toured the gardens near Padme's home and enjoyed each other's company. They were close enough to the house that Darra could easily sense when something was amiss, but far enough away that they had a little privacy.

The topics were simple; recent news from the temple, what Laurence had been doing over the past years, what Darra would tell the council... all very relevant but minutely discussed questions. They had to be careful that none of the servants overheard them, and neither felt comfortable continuing one of the subjects for long.

Needless to say it was quite a shock when Senator Amidala's silver cruiser took off behind them.

Darra's eyes widened as she sensed Anakin and Padme's presence on board. Instantly she grabbed her comlink and contacted Anakin's channel.

"What in the world do you think you're doing!" she shouted into the comlink as soon as Anakin answered it.

"I'm going to Tatooine," Anakin said casually. "The Senator ordered me to take her along. We weren't sure if you would be back in time to tell you."

"You're taking the Senator to Tattoine!" Darra cried out in horror. "Anakin, what are you thinking? You can't - "

"Come on," Laurence tapped her shoulder and pulled her into a run, heading towards the landing platform.

"Wait - what are you - Laurence what's going on here!"

"Just follow me!" he ordered.

Darra glared at him as she flipped off the comlink channel. "You'd better have a good explanation for this!"

"Trust me," he shot back as he dashed to his sleek black cruiser, darting up the ramp before it had fully extended.

Darra growled in frustration and followed, jumping into the passenger seat just as Laurence started flipping controls. She yelped as the seats in the back suddenly folded into the floor, allowing the speeder to compact it's hull somewhat. Instantly Laurence gunned the engine and the ship soared into the air, barely giving Darra time to fasten her seat belt.

"I don't know what you're doing with this bucket of circuits, but I'm not sure I'm about to ask!" Darra snapped as she stared at the switches, buttons, and controls that covered the walls.

Laurence grinned. "Actually, this is just a sub model. I was going to make something more complicated, but I didn't have time."

Darra glared at him a moment, then switched the topic. "Do you mind telling me _exactly_ where we're going?"

Laurence's face turned instantly sober. "Tatooine. I don't know why they're going there, but I have a suspicion. If he's been having the same nightmares I have..." He was silent, his mind far off. "Darra, I really need to find out what's going on," he finally said softly. "I think Mom has something to do with it."

"Your mother?" Darra asked. "But why - "

"Don't you see it?" Laurence turned to face her briefly. "Why is it that _somehow_ we're both having nightmares about our Mothers? Why would he be going to Tatooine at the same time that I feel an irrepressable urge to find out for myself if she's okay? It all adds up!"

"Laurence, what are you trying to tell me?" Darra asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

Laurence sighed and threw his hands in the air. "I don't know," he admitted. "Maybe he's an identical twin or something that Mom never told me about." He turned to Darra, his gaze deathly serious. "He's not just my look-alike, Darra. I don't know where he came from, but I know that he's somehow aligned with my past. There's just way too many similarities to ignore." Laurence began tallying them off on his fingers. "First, he looks just like me. Obi-wan can't tell the difference, Master Yoda obviously hasn't noticed anything yet, and even you didn't find out until this mission. Second, why is it that he cares so much about Padme? It's just freaky, he knows so much about her! Third, have you ever noticed his piloting skills? I rode on the back of his speeder! Trust me, I didn't know I was a suicidal maniac until I got stuck with _his_ driving. Fourth, now it turns out that both our Moms live on Tatooine, and both of them just _happen_ to be in danger. How coincidential is that? I could probably tell you a hundred other similarities between us. This is_ not _just some do-hickey wierdo planted in the temple. This is something bigger than anything we've ever seen before."

Darra was silent for a moment as she thought this over. "Do you have any idea what might be going on?"

"No," Laurence shook his head. "But I'm going to find out. Before that happens I need to contact Mom, though." He sighed in frustration, and Darra could feel the tension rolling off him in waves.

"We'll find her," she reassured. Both of them knew they were empty words.

Neither spoke for the rest of the flight.

...

"We'll meet you outside the ship dock," Anakin's voice was terse over the com. "I know the way around."

"All right," Darra answered before turning off the transmition.

"He's not going to find her there," Laurence said quietly as he sat slumped in his chair.

Darra turned to him, surprise on her features. "What do you mean?"

Laurence twisted one side of his mouth into a slight smile before his face returned to its serious expression. "I freed her... sometime after I left the temple." His words were spaced apart as he stared into the distance.

Memories sifted through his mind like sand. He had never had time to visit home after he began working as the Queen's Guardian. Funny... he'd always thought Shmi be there for him. Like he could just go home at any time and she'd already have an extra plate out for supper.

Now he wasn't even sure if she was still alive.

"Hey," Darra spoke up, pulling him from his morbid thoughts. "It'll be okay." She smiled lightly, trying to cheer him up. Laurence managed a twist at the corner of his mouth but could find no comfort in the situation. He was beginning to sense an urgency, as though even as they spoke time was running out.

He couldn't describe how relieved he was when Tatooine finally appeared on the viewscreen.

Laurence eased the ship into a perfect landing in one of the space docks close to where Anakin and Padme had left their cruiser.

Anakin nodded his acknowledgement as they joined him, but Laurence could easily read his concern. It was the same as his own after all.

"We'll check Watto's shop first," Anakin explained, taking charge of the situation. "She should still be there." His voice held a slight note of doubt.

Darra cleared her throat, wishing to speed things up but worried about giving anything away. "Laurence has been here several times for the races," she mentioned casually. "Perhaps he might have heard something about where she lives."

Anakin shot her a dark look, unconvinced. "We'll check Watto's shop."

Laurence fought the rising impatience he felt. This was taking too long. He knew Anakin would find nothing there.

The Jedi ignored them however and led the way to the Watto's junkyard.

After losing his bet against Anakin ten years before, Watto had lost nearly his entire livelihood. A few helpful tips from the newly married Shmi had caused the Toydarian to begin betting on Laurence during the races, and he had been able to slowly rebuild his former granduer. Even so, the junkyard was a mere shadow of its former self.

Laurence, Darra, and Padme waited outside while Anakin went in alone to speak with Watto. After a few minutes he came out, looking as though he had lost the world.

"He sold her," Anakin said in a choked, disbelieving voice.

"Sold her! Padme gasped. "Did you find out to whom?"

"Someone named Lars," Anakin replied distantly. "He has a moisture farm a little ways outside the city."

Suddenly Laurence was very glad he had given his prize money to Cleigg to free Shmi, instead of doing it himself. He said nothing as he backed up, pulling Darra with him. "We have to get there before they do!" he hissed. "My family doesn't know that he's Anakin!"

Darra's eyes widened and she nodded. They returned to the ships as quickly as they could manage without appearing to be in an obvious hurry, and Laurence decided to test exactly how fast his cruiser could go. It was indeed able to outfly the Senator's cruiser, but he'd almost forgotten that the driver of the ship happened to be his 'identical twin.' As it was, he made it to Lar's homestead with only minutes to spare.

Owen had been outside cleaning one of the moisture collectors when they arrived. "Anakin, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I don't have time to explain," Laurence replied hurriedly. "Whatever you do, call me Laurence. I'm a friend of the family who helped Mom. There's some sort of identical twin coming behind me. Pretend he's your brother."

Owen looked perplexed but he nodded. Laurence didn't wait for further explanations as he hurried into the house, giving Beru, Owen's girlfriend, the same message.

"But I don't understand, Anakin," Beru stated. "What's going on?"

"You'll see in a minute," Laurence replied as he quickly opened C-3PO's control panel and began erasing the recent memory data. He didn't want the droid babbling about him right in front of the others.

"Anakin, there's something I need to tell you," Beru said quietly, her eyes filling with tears.

Laurence's heart stopped. He didn't need her to finish for him to know what was going on. "Tell me later," he said in a low voice as he closed C-3PO's control panel. "There's someone else who needs to know." With that he hurried upstairs, leaving a dazed Beru in his wake.

"I warned Dad," Owen said quietly as he passed by Laurence. "He knows what to do."

Laurence nodded sharply. "Remember, the name is Laurence and I never speak to anyone." Some of this information Owen would have gathered before from Laurence's messages to Shmi, but he didn't want to take any chances.

"You really need to find yourself a better hobby," Owen muttered as he followed Laurence upstairs.

Even in their moment of crisis the family was more than willing to help Laurence out. How she did it was beyond him, but in a matter of two minute Beru had C-3PO out working in the yard as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Owen grabbed a random piece of metal and a rag, then went outside with Beru to meet the newcomers.

Laurence listened carefully, hoping desperately that he had erased C-3PO's memory circuits far enough.

"Oh, oh my," he heard the droid call out. "Hello. How might I be of service? I am C- "

"3PO?" Anakin asked as he turned to the droid.

"Oh, um, the maker!" C-3PO suddenly realized. Laurence breathed a sigh of relief.

"Master Ani!" 3PO continued. "I knew you would return. I knew it! And Miss Padme, oh my!"

"Hello 3PO," she said softly.

"Bless my circuits, I'm so pleased to see you both!" the droid prattled on.

"I've come to see my mother," Anakin said.

"Oh, um, I think perhaps we'd.. better go indoors," 3PO fumbled. Laurence felt his gut twist. He knew instinctively that things were worse than he had imagined.

"Master Owen, might I present two most important visitors," 3PO said as he led them down the stairs into the small courtyard.

"I'm Anakin Skywalker," the dark clad Jedi introduced himself.

Owen played his part well, though he stuttered a little and nervously rubbed at the metal piece in his hand the entire time. "Owen Lars. T-this is my girlfriend, Beru."

"Hello," the girl nodded, more confident in her role.

"I'm Padme," the Senator repliedas Laurence came over and stood behind her. "This is Laurence. He's my bodyguard."

"It's nice to meet you all," Owen answered politely. "I.. guess I'm your stepbrother," he stated helplessly to Anakin. He cast a furtive glance towards Laurence, then continued. "I had a feeling you might show up someday."

"Is my Mother here?" Anakin went straight to the point.

"No, she's not." Everyone turned as a man in a hoverchair approached. The stump of one leg was swathed in bandages. "Cleigg Lars," he introduced as he shook Anakin's hand. "Shmi is my wife. We should go inside. We have a lot to talk about."

Anakin's face was lined with fear, and Laurence felt the same trepidation clutching at his own heart. Last he had called home, Cleigg had been uninjured. That had been four weeks ago.

..

"It was just before dawn... they came out of nowhere... a hunting party of... tuskan raiders," Cleigg explained in short bursts as they sat together at the long wooden table. "Your mother had gone out early like she always did, to pick ... mushrooms that grow on the evaporators. From the ... tracks," he let out a breath, "...she was about half-way home... when they took her." Cleigg sighed again. "Those tuskans walk like men, but they're... vicious... mindless monsters. Thirty of us went after her, four of us came back. I'd be out there with them, but... after I lost my leg, I ... just couldn't ride anymore... until I heal." He shook his head. "I don't want to give up on her, but she's been gone a month." He glanced at Laurence then returned his attention to Anakin. "There's little hope she's lasted this long."

Anakin was breathing hard, and he looked ready to cry. Both he and Laurence stood simutaneously.

"Where are you going?" Owen asked.

"To find my mother," Anakin answered in a broken tone.

"Your mother's dead, son" Cleigg said harshly, directing his gaze from Anakin to Laurence and back again. "Accept it."

Anakin said nothing in response.

Laurence stared at Cleigg, his fury burning its way to the surface. Slamming a palm onto the table before he could stop himself, he stalked out of the room. Padme's puzzled gaze followed him.

Darra nearly went after Laurence, but she stopped herself. He needed to sort this out on his own.

..

Laurence ran up the stairs several minutes after Padme disapeared. Anakin was just about to leave.

"Stay here with Padme," the Jedi ordered back to Laurence as he swung a leg over one of the speeders.

Laurence ignored him, his blood boiling with indignation over Cleigg's callous words. He grabbed the other speeder and glared at Anakin when the Jedi tried to dissuade him.

"I need to do this alone," Anakin said slowly, emotion puncuating each word.

Laurence said nothing. He merely gunned the engine. Anakin must have realized he was fighting a pointless battle as he turned away and switched on his own speeder. The two quickly disapeared in a swirl of dust.

...

For three hours they traveled, questioning the locals they passed on their way. The sun was setting in the distance before they finally got a clear direction.

Laurence's heart was in his throat, and he knew his 'twin' must feel the same. What if they were too late? What if - but no. He couldn't dwell on the what if's. He had to focus.

Nightfall came, and the sliver of one of Tatooine's moons provided full illumination of the tuskan village. They had finally arrived.

Anakin peered over the edge of the cliff, then jumped down to land lightly on his feet. Laurence quickly followed suit, though without aid of the force he had to fall into a roll to absorb the impact. Anakin gave him a quick nod of approval and headed off towards the camp.

Neither Anakin nor Laurence had to ask which tent Shmi was in. By now Anakin was openly suspicious of Laurence's connection to his mother, but he asked no questions. Activating his lightsaber, he quickly severed a hole in the tent wall. Kicking the flap open, he stepped in, Laurence following close behind.

Laurence's heart stopped. His Mom was there, tied to a bloody support. She was barely alive.

Both of the young men moved at once, each untying one of the straps that held Shmi's hands to the wooden structure. She grunted softly, stirring from unconsciousness.

"Mom, Mom!" Anakin's voice cracked in horror as he gently lifted her down and cradled her in his arms.

Laurence was at Shmi's side in an instant, tears clouding his eyes and the realization hitting him full on. Anakin _was_ Shmi's son. The imposter wasn't even close to faking it. Laurence had no time to mull over it, however.

Shmi was dying.

"Ani?" She grunted slightly, then repeated louder, "Ani?" Her gaze was on the imposter's face however. A tear trickled down Laurence's cheek as he gently stroked her hair back.

Shmi weakly turned her head and saw Laurence. Her eyes widened in recognition. "Ani."

He shook his head slightly, his eyes pleading for her to understand. It was too late though, as Anakin's head swung up, his burning gaze piercing into Laurence's soul. Suddenly understanding lit them. He knew.

Laurence swallowed hard, knowing that the game was up. Gently he put his hand under Shmi's head as she looked in confusion between the two.

"Is it you?" she asked the 'twin' softly, her eyes searching his face.

"I'm here Mom," he answered emphatically. He didn't care if Laurence was somehow an identical part of himself. Shmi was _his_ mother, not the Laurnce's. He looked into Shmi's haunted eyes and felt tears choke him. "You're safe," he tried to reassure her.

"Ani?" she asked again in disbelief. "Ani?" Shmi looked back to Laurence, her eyes questioning. Laurence said nothing as he took one of Shmi's hands and gently wrapped it around Anakin's fingers, then slid his arm under her shoulders to support her head. His point was clear; they were both there for her.

Anakin couldn't understand why Laurence had just passed on such an obvious message, but he nodded his thanks. Whoever this identical "twin" of his was, he didn't care anymore. They had suddenly been thrust together by the same horrific situation, and for the first time he felt he could finally understand the Queen's guardian.

Shmi smiled at Anakin and put a hand to his face. "You look so handsome," she said proudly.

Anakin's throat closed up as the held back emotions choked him, and he gently kissed his mother's palm. Laurence had silent tears trickling down his face as he stroked Shmi's other hand.

"My son," Shmi said softly as she ran a hand over Anakin's face. "Oh, my grown-up son. I'm so proud of you, honey."

Laurence's heart twisted. Shmi was delirious now, and didn't even notice him. All she saw was Anakin's face. Laurence didn't even get to say goodbye.

"I missed you," Anakin choked as he tried to smile through the pain. She was so badly beaten, yet so brave.

Then she said the dreaded words. "Now I am complete." Her voice was growing fainter.

Laurence leaned closer in alarm. _No, no! _

Shmi's breath came in shorter bursts as she tried to force the words out. "I...love..." her lips moved but no sound came.

"Stay with me, Mom," Anakin gasped as he tried to hold her from the brink. "Everything..." he couldn't say everything would be okay. Because it wouldn't be. It never would.

"I... I love..."

Shmi's voice broke off as her eyes dimmed. Her head fell against Laurence's arm as a death rattle sounded in her throat.

"No," Anakin whispered softly, his mind refusing to believe what his eyes told him. His heart numb, he reached down and closed her eyelids. Something snapped inside him. His face darkening, he gently lowered her into Laurence's arms and left the tent.

...

Laurence was unmoving as Shmi's head fell back. For a moment he just stared at her, his heart denying the fact that she was gone. Then the realization hit him. Shmi would never be there for him to return home to. He had lost her forever.

A choked sob forced its way up Laurence's throat as he buried his face in Shmi's dark hair. The torrent unleashed as an indescribable sorrow overwhelmed him, and he scooped his mother up, rocking her gently in his arms.

"Mom," he cried hopelessly in disbelief. She couldn't be gone! Only weeks before he had been talking with her over the hologram. She had been perfectly fine. Now...

Suddenly everything broke loose. A ragged scream of pain exploded inside of him as the truth hit, and without thinking about the consequences he tore off the force binder on his wrist.

Power flooded him from all sides, filling him to the point where he thought he would be blown apart. His pain fueled his resolve, but somehow in all the chaos he channeled it into determination rather than anger. Never before had he had so much raw energy at his fingertips.

Without hesitation he dived into the force, submerging himself into the black void of nothingness.

...

Anakin fell to his knees as an unbelievable force radiated across the village. He could hear Laurence's screams in the force. They echoed his own.

What was this power? Anakin had not felt such a strong connection to the force since Master Yaddle's death. The tuskan raider in front of him felt to the ground, pressing against the dirt in fear.

Anakin couldn't move as the overpowering weight of Laurence's force signature crushed him to the ground. For the first time in his life his own abilities appeared very small to him.

...

"What is it?" Mace Windu questioned as Yoda faltered suddenly, putting a small hand to his chest. He felt the whisper in the force seconds later. It was faint, but unmistakable.

"Young Skywalker is in pain," Yoda replied in horror. "Terrible, terrible pain! _

In the wake of the blast of force, neither Master noticed the other presence burning brightly, like a small sun against the fierce cosmo that exploded from Tatooine.

...

Obi-wan felt his heart leap in his throat as Anakin screamed across their bond. Rage, heartache, and pain slammed into him, leaving him gasping for breath.

The force blasts intensified, but Obi-wan was lucid enough to notice that something was deadly wrong. He should not be feeling the bonds of _two_ padawans.

_Anakin, what has happened!_ Obi-wan stumbled to his feet, struggling against the overwhelming agony radiating through his bond. Twin voices cried out together, their seperate minds echoeing the same sorrow.

Obi-wan knew what it meant. He had found Anakin's clone.

...

It was like he was soaring into the depths of the force, the black void whispering around him. Force signatures of beings long dead grasped at him, but they were not what he was looking for.

Diving deeper, Laurence found _her_. Reaching out, he took ahold of Shmi's spirit, dragging her back into the real world with him. Her body convulsed once, and she gasped as her lungs filled with air. Laurence refused to let her go however as he poured his own life force into her, strengthening her weakened body and tearing her from the jaws of death.

Realizing he was just shy of completely killing himself, Laurence abruptly shut off the connection. He leaned back and panted heavily, fighting off blackness.

Shmi stared at him, her pain filled eyes lucid enough for him to know she was out of danger. "Ani? You ... you came for me?"

Laurence said nothing as he suddenly heard the snap-hiss of a lightsaber outside. Scrambling to his feet as best he could, he fumbled with the catch on the force binder and threw himself outside just as a tuskan raider was decapitated by a blue lighsaber.

...

For ten minutes the force blast had continued, each second like an eternity. As suddenly as it was there it was gone, and Anakin felt his rage burn within him afresh. Stumbling to his feet, he activated his lightsaber and swung it into the tuskan raider's neck, cleanly beheading it.

The warning cries echoed across the small colony, and Anakin drew his arm back for another blow.

"NOOO!"

Without warning Laurence crashed through the tent flap, pulling Anakin's arms back and away from the next Tuskan warrior. Slightly taken aback by the human's reaction, the raiders stood silent momentarily.

"Enough of this!" Laurence shouted in huttese.

Anakin stared at him in shock. Never before had Laurence spoken in public. Padme had told him the security guard had never talked in his life. Why had he been hiding it this whole time?

Then the thought hit him. Now that he heard it, Anakin realized that the security guard's voice was identical to his own. Another coincidental similarity? Anakin knew better.

"Listen to me, all of you." Laurence's voice held a power to it that Anakin had not known he posessed.

The tuskans were silent.

"You killed many of our people," Laurence continued to speak in huttese. "Their blood gives us the right to avenge you. We have fulfilled this vengeance for one person; the woman you murdered in your own encampment." He paused a moment, shoving aside his fury as it tried to consume him. "We have allowed the rest of your village to live. If you should dishonor this act by retaliating against our people, then let a curse remain on your children for endless generations."

Anakin didn't know how it happened, but one by one the tuskans stepped back. Something in Laurence's appearance, with his black hair and clothing, made him appear like one of the undead himself. Power crackled around him from the unlatched force binder, causing a sense of terror to overpower any resistance.

Whether or not the threat was valid, the tuskans would not mess with something this ethereal. They backed off.

Laurence waited a moment then pulled Anakin inside the tent. Anakin started to shake Laurence off angrily, then stood shock still as he saw his mother.

"Ani," she acknowledged with a soft smile.

Anakin choked back a sob as he rushed to her side. "Mom!" He knelt down and scooped her up, holding her close. "How - "

"Help her back to the speeders," Laurence ordered brisquely as he checked to make sure no tuskan raiders were following.

Anakin shot him a sharp look. _We'll talk later,_ his eyes said. He carefully stood and carried his mother out the back of the tent.

Laurence didn't even bother to explain as he followed Anakin back to the speeders. His feet felt as though they belonged to someone else, and he constantly stumbled as he bordered on unconciousness. Obi-wan had warned him that he might go too far with the life transfussion one day.

Anakin helped his mother onto the speeder and sat behind her, holding her upright. "Are you all right?" he asked Laurence, noting his difficulty concentrating.

Laurence smiled tightly in response and pulled himself onto the speeder, blinking a moment to clear the dark spots from his eyes.

They took off immediately, racing the dawn. Laurence held on by only the force and sheer will power, his strength being gone. Shmi was unconscious, her head limp against Anakin's shoulder, but she was alive. That was all that mattered.

They reached the homestead late the next morning. Laurence clasped the force binder shut, the crisis over for the time being. The others ran outside as they heard the engines, and their eyes filled with hope when they saw Shmi cradled in Anakin's arms. Beru and Owen rushed Anakin inside to help take care of Shmi, and Padme and Cleigg followed right after.

Darra was the only one who remained behind, her concerned gaze turning to Laurence the minute he arrived. Swaying on his feet, Laurence gave her a twisted half smile of reassurance. Then his legs buckled underneath him and he collapsed onto the hot sand.

...

**The scene was so beautifully depressing that I just had to let Shmi die. :) I couldn't just leave Ani and Laurence without their Mom though, so rest assured, she'll be okay.**

** Yes, Anakin knows about Laurence now (though he doesn't know about the cloning process yet), and Obi-wan has an idea about what is going on. No, Yoda and Mace Windu did not notice. Further developments for this will come in later chapters.**

** Hope you got scared to death over Shmi! :D**


	13. Answers

**Author's Note and Questions Answered:**

** Sorry this took so long to come out. I had a severe case of Writers **_**Blah**_**, where I had all the ideas but no desire to write. (Ironically this happened on chapter 13.) Then I realized I was totally out of a Star Wars mood (see profile for a defenition of writing moods) and moved on to other stories until I felt like writing this again. **

** I would suggest the readers keep an eye on my profile if it seems like I'm taking a while to update. I post every time I change writing categories, and I also put down the newest chapters and story statuses. It might help for times when people wonder if I've gone off and died or something because the update is taking so long. ;)**

** Note - I only answer questions that occur in the previous chapter or don't spoil future chapters. If your question isn't answered, it's because the answer will present itself later on.**

** Thank you for the helpful comments given by Shattered-Destiny00 on the last two chapters. You actually provided some new ideas which I hope to be adding in the future. **

** Floating Leaves, I will surrender a light spoiler to say that no, Padme and Obi-wan will not be getting together in the end. However, if not for the plotline they would be. :) (Wish they could for this one, but sadly it's against the laws of the George Lucas universe. Drat.)**

** Hmmm, maybe I should write a Padme/Obi-wan story later on... Or maybe I should go hide behind my computer as all my readers start shouting at me to just finish a story for once before I start a new one.**

** One last thing - for those asking for a Padme/Real Anakin pairing, please be so kind as to leave it out of the reviews from now on because it isn't about to happen. I'm really sorry to disappoint, but I'm afraid I will not budge in that particular area. Hope that doesn't deter you from reading though. :)**

** Thanks for all the reviews! :D **

**...**

As Beru came downstairs with a light lunchtray, Anakin walked forward and took it from her, telling her he wished to bring it to his mother himself. Beru nodded her understanding and went back to join the others. She knew what was going on.

Anakin stood still a minute, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves. Just this morning he and Laurence had returned from rescuing Shmi from the tusken raiders. Shmi was alive, but the circumstances that brought it about were against all reason.

What Anakin couldn't get over was the fact that Shmi hadn't survived the ordeal. She had died in his arms, her eyes wide and staring as she let out her final breath.

Somehow Laurence had saved her though. Anakin had no idea what had happened. All he knew was that there was suddenly a blast in the force seemingly ten times more powerful than the energy one of Tatooine's suns. For ten minutes he had been left on his knees, crushed by the sense of power radiating through the area. When it was over Laurence had run out and stopped him from slaying his mother's murderers, and he found that Shmi was still alive.

Now Laurence was lying unconscious in one of the rooms downstairs. Whatever he had done, he had barely conserved enough energy to make it back to the homestead.

Anakin's eyes narrowed as he moved silently to Cleigg and Shmi's room. He didn't know why Laurence cared so much about his mother, but he was determined to find out.

The door swished open without a sound as he entered. Cleigg looked up from where he was sitting next to Shmi's bedside and saw Anakin. He managed a poor smile then looked down again.

"Is she all right?" Anakin asked in concern as he placed the tray on the bedside table.

"She's resting," Cleigg said simply. His worry was evident in his voice.

Anakin pulled up a chair next to Shmi's bedside and sat down. Taking her hand gently, he stroked it with his thumb, hoping his presence would encourage her to open her eyes.

"I'd better check on Laurence," Cleigg excused himself. He'd already noted Anakin's fierce loyalty towards Shmi, even if he wasn't really her son. Cleigg decided to give them a few minutes alone. He would ask Shmi about it later.

As Anakin sat by Shmi's bedside, his mind was drawn back to his childhood years. Although they never had very much money, Shmi had always made home a special place. Her warm smile and soft voice always made the Anakin's world seem brighter, no matter how bad the day had been.

Closing his eyes a moment, Anakin let his mind be drawn back to happier times. He didn't realize how much time had passed until he felt Shmi's hand stir in his grasp. Immediately Anakin sat up, gently reaching out tendrils of the force and encouraging Shmi to open her eyes.

Slowly Shmi's eyelids fluttered open, bewilderment written across her features. "Ani?" she asked in a soft whisper when her eyes lit on him.

Anakin let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. "It's me, Mom," he said in a hitched voice . "You're safe now."

Shmi smiled softly as she lightly squeezed his hand, but then her smile faded. Confusion lit in her eyes, she searched the room as best as she could in her weakened state. "Laurence?" she asked Anakin when she couldn't find who she was looking for.

Anakin's jaw tightened as he fought against the jealosy pulsating through him. Why did she have to bring Laurence into it now? How dare that imposter take Anakin's place in his mother's heart!

"He's asleep right now," Anakin said soothingly. "He was pretty exhausted."

A flash of memory glimmered in Shmi's eyes. "Is he all right?" she asked. "Did he hurt himself?"

Anakin forced his breathing to remain calm. "He'll be fine," he reassured her, noting with relief that Shmi seemed to take him at his word. He paused a moment, then asked the question that had been haunting him for weeks.

"Who is he?"

Shmi looked up in some slight surprise.

"Who is he, Mom?" Anakin asked again, fighting to keep the anger from creeping into his voice. "Don't tell me he's just a friend. I know he's more than that."

Shmi was silent as she considered "Anakin's" words. She had already known that he was an identical to her son. Laurence himself had confirmed that in the Tuskan encampment. Where the other had come from and how, she did not know. But somehow she couldn't bear to tell him that she wasn't truly his mother. He was so much like her Ani, and he seemed so lost... she couldn't refuse him.

Along with that however was the matter of the true Anakin. She didn't want to risk her son's identity without his permission after when he had hidden it so long. At the same time, what would she tell the young man who was so positive she was his mother?

Taking a deep breath, Shmi knew what she could do. She began hesitantly, "I never told you about Laurence for very... certain reasons." Reasons like the fact that two Anakins were not supposed to have existed in the first place.

The other Anakin sat back, giving her a level stare and waiting for her to go on.

Shmi had never told a lie in her entire life if she could help it. If she had been told she would tell a "twin" of Anakin's something other than the complete truth, she would have been outraged. Now that her son's secret identity was on the line however, Shmi was willing to make up anything.

Clearing her throat slightly, Shmi began.

"For a long time I've told you that you were an only child in order to protect you. I knew that you would understand the fact that family members could be seperated according to the slaver's whim, but I didn't want you to grow up wondering what had happened to Laurence."

Shmi paused a minute as she tried to think through her story. Anakin's eyes darkened in confusion and he shifted slightly in his chair.

Throwing caution to the wind, Shmi said simply, "Laurence is your twin brother, Anakin. I never told you because you were seperated at birth. Gardula only allowed one of you to stay. She sold Laurence despite how desperately I begged her to let me keep him."

True emotion began to clog Shmi's voice. Everything she was saying was untrue, but for years she had worried that the same events might happen to her own little boy. Now the tension of that time finally began to unleash. "I was afraid that you would grow up to be bitter against the galaxy because of losing your brother. I never wanted you to learn to hate something with all your passion."

Tears streaked down Shmi's face. It was true. Whether it was Anakin or his impossibly identical look-alike she was speaking to, she never wanted either of them to live in such a manner. "I didn't see Laurence for years," Shmi continued in a calmer tone. "When I first met him again, he helped Cliegg free me." Here at least she could tell part of the truth. "I wanted to tell you about him, but I could never contact you. Laurence never stayed around very much anyways. He was always traveling the galaxy, just like you always wanted to. I had hoped that someday you two might meet..."

Here Shmi stopped, unable to continue the lie any further. Had she done the right thing in telling the young Jedi about this?

Anakin sat back, his gaze troubled and withdrawn. He didn't speak for a few minutes and Shmi allowed him time to think.

Finally Anakin said hesitantly, "So I have a twin brother?" His voice was doubtful, with a slight glimmer of hope.

Shmi forced herself to nod, detesting her fallacy. The young man seemed to need to hear it though. He truly felt that Shmi was his mother. Shmi wasn't sure how, but in a way he _was_ her son. He was so alike to her own Anakin that she was almost ready to start believing her own falsehood.

"But... I don't understand," Anakin finally said in frustration. "Why didn't you think you could tell me? I mean, I know that you wanted to protect me but..."

Anakin was cut off as the door swished open. Owen stuck his head in and flushed slightly in embarassment when he realized he had interrupted their conversation.

"Um, your droid says you have a transmission," he said lamely as he looked towards Shmi.

Shmi smiled softly and beckoned him over. Anakin stood up and gently kissed her forehead, still in fearful wonder that she was alive. He nodded shortly to Owen then left the room to check on R2.

...

Needless to say, Anakin looked a little nervous when he found that the transmission was sent by his master. Padme joined him on the ship deck to hear it. She knew Darra would want to know about it as well, but the padawan had refused to leave Laurence's side since he returned, and Padme didn't want to disturb her.

"Anakin, my long range transmitter has been knocked out," Obi-wan's voice crackled over the speaker. "Re-transmit this message to Coruscant."

Padme and Anakin moved at the same time for the button while Obi-wan paused on the recording.

"I have tracked the bounty hunter, Jango Fett, to the droid foundries on Geonosis," Obi-wan informed. "The trade federation is to take a delivery of a droid army here, and it is clear that Viceroy Gunray is behind the assasination attempts on Senator Amidala."

Padme felt a slight thrill of triumph at Obi-wan's confirmation of her suspicions.

"The commerce guilds of the corporate alliance have both pledged their armies to Count Dooku, and are forming a - wait!" Obi-wan drew a lightsaber, falling into a defense position. "Wait - " Several shots were fired and blocked successfully by the Jedi's lightsaber, but as a destroyer droid appeared on the scene Obi-wan disapeared from the holograph range. Then the transmition ended.

Padme looked up to Anakin in horror. His face was a mixture of emotions as he stared at the holograph.

"Anakin," Mace Windu appeared on the hologram. "We will deal with Count Dooku. The most important thing for you to do is to stay where you are. Protect the Senator at all costs. That is your first priority."

"Understood, Master," Anakin said in a quiet voice.

Padme stared at him in shock. What had happened to the blatant, courageous Jedi Knight who dodged the rules whenever he could get away with it? Where was his arrogant rebellious nature when it came to rescuing those he cared for?

"They'll never arrive in time to save him!" Padme pointed out, angry at the seemingly passive nature of her Jedi protector. "They have to come half-way across the galaxy!"

Padme punched a button, showing a map of the Geonosis system. "Look, Geonosis is less than a parsec away."

"If he's still alive," Anakin snapped.

Padme stared in furious shock as Anakin began to walk away. "Ani, are you just going to sit here and let him _die_? He's your friend, your mentor - !"

"He's like my father!" Anakin swung around to face her.

He couldn't bear the thought of what the transmission had implied. Anakin had only just managed to return his mother home safely, and now his master was in danger. How much more could he take? Anakin wasn't sure which way to go. Obi-wan was in danger, but his Mom needed him here. _Now._ Which way could he choose? It appeared that this time however, the Jedi had made up his mind for him.

"You heard Master Windu," Anakin shouted his frustrations, "He gave me strict orders to stay here!" He hadn't meant to get angry, but nothing made sense right now.

Padme gave him a cool look. "He gave you strict orders to protect me," she answered saucily. "And I'm going to help Obi-wan." She smirked and turned to the controls. "If you plan to protect me, you'll just have to come along."

It was amazing how fast one could change their decisions. Shaking his head at Padme's daring actions, Anakin nonetheless smiled and buckled himself into the pilot seat. Laurence and Darra could look after Shmi. As much as he was loathe to leave his mother's side, he wasn't about to let Padme walk into danger on her own. Especially when it involved his master.

...

His body was pestering him to stop thinking and just go back to sleep, but Laurence was never one to stay down for very long. Kicking his way back to consciousness, he opened his eyes blearily and winced as the light from the afternoon sun pierced his brain.

The door swished open silently, and Beru entered the room with a tray. She almost dropped it in surprise when she saw Laurence's eyes open, but quickly regained her composure.

"We were almost beginning to wonder if you were dead," she said softly as she put the tray down.

Laurence winced and pulled himself up. He noticed that Darra was asleep in a chair across from the bed, and he wondered how long she had been there.

"How long was I unconscious?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

Beru poured a glass of water and handed it to him. "Only for a little while," she reassured. "You fainted soon after you and that twin of yours drove in this morning, and you haven't stirred until now. We were beginning to get a little worried."

Laurence nearly choked on a swallow as the memories flooded back. "Mom! Is she okay?" he spluttered.

"Relax," Beru said calmly as she took the glass from him and set it on the bedside table. "Shmi is fine. She's resting right now, and you should be too."

Laurence's choking had woken Darra, and she carefully stretched. "Laurence, you're awake!" she cried out as soon as she saw him.

"He won't be for very long," Beru replied. "As soon as he's eaten he's going right back to sleep. I'll go get another bowl."

"Is he awake?" Owen barged in at that moment, nearly bowling Beru over.

"Some sick room," Laurence muttered as he rubbed a hand over his face.

"Anakin, your twin just took off in a space cruiser," Owen exclaimed hurriedly. "Oh, are you feeling okay?"

"He WHAT?" Darra and Laurence shouted at once.

Laurence immediately scrambled out of bed despite Beru's protests. He was still wearing the same sand streaked tunic he had come home in, so it was a simple matter to grab his blaster belt and durusteel pole, which Owen had courteously left leaning against the wall for him.

"Wait, Laurence, where are you going?" Owen demanded as Laurence fumbled to get his boots on whilst hopping on one foot.

"To find out what they're up to," Laurence muttered darkly as he grabbed his comlink and ran out of the room.

"Anakin? Anakin, are you there?" Laurence snapped into the comlink as he stepped into the Tatooine sunlight.

"Laurence, don't follow me this time," Anakin's voice answered. "Stay with Mom. We'll be back in a little while."

"What's the panic about this time, bantha brain?" Laurence asked curtly. He was beginning to feel rather irritated about being left behind so often.

"Obi-wan is in trouble and Padme wants to go rescue him. I have to go along to protect her." Anakin's voice was mundane and to the point, as it always was when he was feeling rebellious.

"You took the Senator?" Laurence's voice rose a pitch as he shouted into the comlink. "What, are you crazy or something? What's the problem with protecting her down here? Aren't you supposed to keep her _out_ of trouble?"

"Aren't you supposed to _not_ be able to talk?"

Laurence glared at the comlink, ignoring the fact that dark looks could not be telepathically transferred to the listener. He had blown it now. Suddenly he grinned wickedly. "You say one word and I'm telling Obi-wan that you're in love with Padme."

Silence reigned on the transmission.

"How did you know about that?" Anakin finally asked slowly.

"It's pretty obvious," Laurence smirked. He didn't know why he was in such an unusually cruel mood at the moment, but he was enjoying it immensely.

He could practically hear Anakin's scowl across the communicator. "Fine, but you're going to have a pretty hard time explaining your screaming to Padme. She's in the ship you know."

"Where are you going?" Laurence asked pointedly, his voice serious again.

"I told you to stay with Mom," Anakin replied. "We'll get back to you when this is over." The comlink went dead.

Laurence glared at the sky and tried to concentrate on anything other than crushing the communication device in his hand.

"So we've been abandoned again, is it?" Darra asked as she raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Come on," Laurence replied. "We should be able to track them pretty easily."

"You have a tracker?" Darra's voice held admiration and surprise.

Laurence tossed his hair out of his face and smirked. "I'm the Queen's guardian. I can't just let her take off without contacting me."

Darra grinned. "Laurence, you are brilliant."

...

**Okay, so did you ever notice that on the ship, Padme presses the same button to pull up the map of Geonosis as she did to activate the transmitter? What is this, a low budget cruiser? Just had to point that out.**

**I know I'm too obsessed with my story when I write an alternate universe for the ending... and then come up with an alternate universe for **_**that**_** ending! To put it short, I've managed to create a plotline that has room for two **_**extra**_** plotlines after ROTS. One is for Last of the Jedi, and the other for A New Hope through Return of the Jedi. Even worse? I'm slightly considering writing one about the events after the Legacy series!**

** Yep, I'm obsessed. I seriously need to stop watching Star Wars.**


	14. Caught

**Author's Note and Questions Answered**

** Floating Leaves: I thought about that point, where Anakin should have suspected Shmi was lying. In the movies and books I noticed that he tends to trust people implicitly despite common sense. (Take Palpatine for example.) Anakin probably would never suspect his mother would lie to him, though I will say that in future chapters he will begin to question her story. (When and how though, is the question.) **

** Swfan () : I'm glad you're enjoying the story! I can't say I really like Laurence's last name myself. It kind of stuck since that's what I made up years ago, so I didn't bother to change it. (Creative names were never my speciality back then.) **

** The Tainted Knight: Actually you are correct in your assumptions that this story will be a lot longer than expected. Rising Phoenix will end after AOTC, and there will be an ROTS sequel. The ROTS section ends the story, but there are plans for 2 alternate endings which will allow for Judd Watson's **_**Last of the Jedi **_**series and the original Star Wars trilogy. (Spoiler alert! ;P )**

...

Anakin and Padme already had a head start, and it took Laurence a few minutes to activate the tracking signal he had programmed on the Senator's cruiser. Soon enough they were in open space however, and Laurence was reassured that the speed of the Black Falcon would easily keep the Naboo vessel within tracking range. They would reach the destination later than Padme and Anakin, but hopefully they would still be in time.

"That's where they're headed," Darra pointed to a small spot on the map. "Geonosis." She gave Laurence a sharp look as he leaned his head back and winced. "Are you okay?"

Laurence shrugged, trying to ignore the piercing throbbing in his skull. "I'll live."

Darra scowled. "You should be in bed. You tried a life-transfer force trick again, didn't you?"

"Sort of." Laurence didn't bother nodding his head. He was sure his brain would completely explode if he tried.

Darra growled slightly in frustration. "Anakin Skywalker, have you no sense in that thick skull of yours? The last time you did that to me you were stuck in the hospital for days! It's been twelve hours _at the most_ since you used that power and you think it's okay to just trapsise across the galaxy as if nothing has happened?"

Laurence groaned. "Darra, could you keep it down a little? My head - "

"You are not leaving this ship when we land," Darra continued ordering as she folded her arms and leaned back in her chair. "So help me, I will handcuff you to the cockpit if I have to!"

"You done?" Laurence asked with a slight smirk.

"Yes," Darra said in a sulky yet concerned tone. "I'm just worried about you."

Laurence was glad that she had never been around when he was street fighting on Coruscant. He wasn't sure she would have ever stopped lecturing him.

"When we get Obi-wan back I promise I'll stay in the hospital as long as you deem neccessary," Laurence teased as he took a couple aspirin for his headache.

Darra sighed. "I guess I won't be able to stop you. Two weeks minimum."

Laurence grimaced. "You're got to be joking. Three days."

"One week."

"Five days?" Laurence gave Darra his most pitiful puppy dog look.

Darra smiled. "Fine. I'll make sure of it."

"I'm sure you will," Laurence muttered ruefully as he prepared to land.

He couldn't see Padme's ship anywhere, but the tracker coordinates seemed to direct to one of the steam vents in the ground. Carefully easing the cruiser into a seperate steam vent nearby, he turned off the ship and grabbed his fighting rod.

"Let's go see what they're up to."

...

The corridor they entered was damp and nearly pitch black. Laurence swung his durasteel rod in an easy arc, warming up for a possible fight. He could barely see Darra ahead of him. She was walking slowly, listening to the force for signs of danger.

"Wait," Darra stopped a moment. "There's something - "

Laurence heard a fluttering noise behind him and in one smooth motion he moved his grip to the end of his durusteel rod and swung it around, slamming a creature in the side just as it leapt forward.

Instantly the corridor was filled with the geonosians as they began either attacking or fleeing for their lives. Darra's lightsaber flashed through the room, slicing through limbs as she cut her way through the miniature drone army. Laurence felt like he was seventeen again as he swung, ducked, and rolled through the mass of wingless beings. He hadn't fought such a large group since leaving Coruscant with Padme, and he was grateful to know that his instincts were still sharp.

Laurence's durusteel rod was a blur of motion. An upper swing to the right smashed one geonosian away, a backsweep took out three others, and a flip through the air prevented Laurence's nose from getting smashed. The geonosians kept coming in swarms however, and he was more than grateful when they reached the doorway at last.

Darra grabbed him by the collar and shoved him through the passage onto the ramp outside, then blasted the control panel as soon as the door slid shut.

"Come on," she ordered as she started running down the suspended walkway.

Laurence followed, his head pounding as the commotion and noise of the room overloaded his brain. They were on one of the higher ramps in a huge droid factory.

Laurence could see squadrons of battle droids marching in formation at the bottom level. Vats of molten metal were being carried to a seperate part of the factory, gears whirled and clanked as droid parts were manufactured, and slams echoed as metal pieces were flattened for various droid parts. Altogether it was a very chaotic situation, something Laurence's mind wasn't able to handle right now.

He wasn't prepared when Darra suddenly shouted, "Get down!" She quickly pushed him to the side as a sonic blast exploded into the wall behind them.

"There are the others!" someone shouted. "Get them!"

Laurence rolled to a stand and saw several winged geonosians flying towards them. Behind the geonosians stood the blue and silver bounty hunter they had been looking for. Laurence sumersaulted and grabbed his blaster as the bounty hunter fired several shots his way. Laurence managed to get off a shot of his own, but he and Darra were forced to evacuate the walkway as several sonic blasts came in quick succesion.

Laurence leapt off the ramp, unsure where Darra had gone. He trusted they would meet up later. With the aid of the force and her lightsaber, Darra should be able to escape rather easily. Laurence was sure he would have no trouble either. Jango Fett would be an impass, but after fighting assasins and thugs for three years of his life, Laurence wasn't too worried.

The genonsians with their sonic blaster however, were going to be a problem. Two more of the blasts echoed behind him, and Laurence leapt down towards a lower ramp. That was his fatal mistake. His body, still weakened from the life transfer the night before, was unable to keep up with the speed Laurence demanded of it.

Laurence's heel caught on the edge of the ramp, throwing off his balance significantly. Instead of jumping to the lower ramp with ease, he tumbled down and slammed into the walkway before rolling off the edge towards a metal crusher below. His durusteel rod flew from his hands, bouncing off various conveyer belts until it clattered to the floor below.

Laurence felt a burst of panic as he fell. There was no time to think, let alone throw out a jumpline or do anything else to alter his course. Briefly Laurence wondered what would happen to a Jedi if they died with no connection to the force whatsoever.

Miraculously, he missed the slicing jaws of the roaring crusher and landed in a pile of smashed metal pieces instead. Laurence tried to roll to his feet as his headache grew tenfold, but was knocked down as a wave of crushed scrap metal was dumped onto him.

Instantly Laurence knew he was in trouble. His head and neck were free, as well as his left arm and shoulder, but the rest of his body was held down by the crushing metal. The ramp below him was moving swiftly towards a raging furnace. As he struggled to wriggle his way free of the scrap pieces weighing down on him, Laurence realized he was hopelessly trapped. Razor sharp pieces of metal were piercing him from all sides, and the weight of the load that had been dumped on him kept him firmly clamped to the death ride.

Laurence could hear popping and screeching as metal poured into the furnace, and he could already feel the heat of the scorching flames ahead. Redoubling his efforts, he struggled frantically against the weight holding him down. Searching for any possible escape route, Laurence's eyes lit on a metal support beam. In a last, desperate effort, he pulled his left arm towards his mouth and bit down on the glove's jump line release catch with his teeth.

To Laurence's utter relief, the line swished out and wrapped around the metal pole several time before latching. He grimaced as the conveyer belt continued to move under him, pulling his arm until he thought it would break. Just he was sure as the pressure would pull his arm from its socket, Laurence felt his body twisting around under the lacerating shards of metal. The sharp edges tore into him painfully, but as the line grew taut he felt them moving past him. His body finally freed, Laurence stumbled to his knees and started moving towards the edge of the ramp.

Luck was against him however, as another heaping load of metal came down the conveyer belt. Laurence could only cover his face and brace himself as the mountain of scrap metal pushed into him. There was an onimous snap as the jump line was sheared, and Laurence felt the belt moving underneath him again.

His heart pounding, he began scrambling up the mass of shards, trying to reach the safety of the support beam. Blood ran into his eyes from multiple cuts, and he felt his body start to give out as he tumbled down the other side of the heap. Rolling to the edge, he activated the metal shear on his left glove and stabbed it into the end of the ramp to keep from being pulled away once more. Laurence looked over the edge quickly and realized that jumping from this height was a certain death wish. He had to make it to the support beam. Using his teeth to activate his right glove, he lifted his arm to stab into the conveyer belt edge a small ways further up.

Just as Laurence started to slam his arm down, he felt someone grab hold of it. Quickly he looked up, thinking it was Darra. His face fell as he saw Jango Fett hovering in the air, his blaster aimed right at Laurence's head.

With a sinking feeling, Laurence knew it was all over. He only hoped that Darra had managed to escape somehow.

...

Darra slunk into the dark corridor, keeping still as two geonosians passed by. She didn't know what had happened to Laurence after they had been seperated, but she trusted he could take care of himself. He was the Queen's guardian after all.

Darra herself had escaped with relative ease. The bounty hunter had disapeared after she had jumped off the walkway, and her geonosian pursuers were quickly dispatched of. She had run along several different conveyer belts, barely escaping with her life in one particular droid manufacture section. A machine part had been swinging wildly, its severed end blackened as though scorched by a lightsaber. Most likely Anakin had been there. Darra had barely ducked in time as the broken part swung towards her head, and she had gladly abandoned the conveyer belt and jumped to another one. Several large cleavers had been slicing away on the belt she had left, and Darra wasn't sure she could have escaped them with all her limbs intact.

As she had run along the belt, Darra's suspicions about Anakin being in the factory had been confirmed as she found the broken end of the padawan's lightsaber. Darra had pocketed it, hoping against hope that Anakin and Senator Amidala were still alive. She had a planned lecture for Laurence's "twin" to hand out later.

There had been no further incidences, and it hadn't taken Darra long to find the exit. Now as she hid in the darkened corridor, Darra wondered if _any_ of her companions had escaped. She hadn't spotted Laurence yet, and neither Padme nor Anakin were anywhere to be seen. The only thing that told her they might be alive was that she hadn't found any bodies... as if that could be considered a comfort.

Footsteps were heard at the beginning of the corridor, and Darra slunk further into the shadows.

"Did you find the other one?" a filtered voice questioned. A series of geonosian dialect followed.

Darra gasped softly as the speakers came into view. Two geonosian guards entered, followed by none other than the Queen's guardian. Laurence was stumbling slightly as he was forced down the corridor, his hands cuffed behind his back and his arms held by two geonosian guards. Jango Fett walked behind them, his blaster pointed at the back of Laurence's head. Two geonosians followed after, their sonic blasters at the ready.

"Put him with the others," Jango ordered. "Alert all levels if you have to, but find that girl!"

Darra held her breath, every instinct screaming for her to leap out and attack the creatures holding her Laurence captive. Common sense told her that if she tried anything, they would both be killed. Darra stayed back.

As the footsteps receded down the corridor, Darra let out a shaky breath and emerged from her hiding place. Taking care to remain unseen in the shadows, she followed after the geonosians.

Just as Darra reached the door, it slammed shut in front of her. Locked. Fighting the urge to scream in frustration, Darra slammed a fist into it and ran back down the corridor. She had to find the others before something terrible happened!

...

To say Laurence was miffed when he saw Anakin and Padme chained to the cart was an understatement. Padme cried out in concern when she saw his ragged and bloody state, but Anakin shot him a glare for having even followed them.

"I _told_ you to stay on Tatooine!" the padawan spat as Laurence was dragged over to the cart.

Laurence was furious and in enough pain to forget his part as the silent guardian. "Oh, and you thought it was a really good idea to go searching for Obi-wan yourself?" he shouted back. "Looks like you two really got far! You're supposed to be protecting Padme, not throwing her into danger!" He shot a dark look at the guards as one geonosian freed his hands and recuffed them in front.

"I didn't want to come here in the first place, but I had no choice!" Anakin retorted. "You should have stayed and protected Mom! I suppose you tangled Darra in this mess as well, didn't you?"

Laurence stiffened visibly, a pang going through his heart as he wondered if Darra was even alive.

"All right, would someone please tell me what's going on here?" Padme suddenly broke in. She turned to Laurence, her voice holding a slight edge to it. "I thought you were supposed to be mute." Padme's eyes searched him, betrayal and confusion written in them.

Laurence glared at Anakin, even though his mistake wasn't the padawan's fault.

"He's been hiding it from everyone," Anakin spat with some slight triumph. He knew he wasn't acting like a Jedi right now, but he wasn't about to pass up a chance to fully discredit his twin in Padme's eyes. Was it Laurence that had been holding her back from him this whole time? Was she was in love with him? Anakin's heart burned with jealousy as he saw Padme's eyes soften when she turned her gaze to Laurence.

"Is it true?" she asked.

Laurence slowly nodded. "Yes," he answered. "I've scarcely spoken to anyone since I left Coruscant."

"Why?" Padme asked in the same gentle tone. She could see the struggle in Laurence's eyes, and she finally began to realize the suspicion that had unknowingly dawned in her heart. _Because you loved me?_ But why would he need to hide... Abruptly Padme turned to Anakin and searched his face.

She didn't know why she hadn't seen it before! The same deeply emotional blue gaze, the same facial features, the same proud stance... the two young men were nearly identical!

"Are you brothers?" Padme questioned.

Laurence hesitated, but Anakin responded immediately.

"Yes," he replied. "We're twins."

A brief moment of shock flashed through Laurence's eyes, but just as quickly it vanished.

"Why did you lie to me?" Padme asked quietly. "Was it because of him?"

Laurence's first thought was to create an ingenious story to match up with his part of being Anakin's "twin," but it only lasted a second. He was tired of lying.

"No," Laurence answered. "I didn't even know he was alive until the Jedi team was assigned to protect you. I... I don't know why I hid it from you when we first met, but once I started I couldn't go back on it. I'm sorry for deceiving you, Padme." Laurence left enough blanks to keep Padme from discovering the real truth, but he felt relieved that at least one game of deceit had come to an end.

Anakin watched the two as they spoke, disbelief written all over his face. How did Laurence do it? He had been lying to Padme this entire time, yet instead of anger her eyes shone with trust and forgiveness.

"I don't understand you, Laurence," Padme responded. "All this time I thought I knew you, but now I'm finding that you're a completely different person."

Laurence shook his head. "I'm still Laurence, Padme. Nothing about me has changed." _Only my feelings for Darra_.

To his surprise, Padme smiled. "I believe you," she answered. "I can't forgive you for lying to me, but I have no reason to hold it against you. You've always been my dearest friend, Laurence. Looking back, I don't think I could have asked for anyone better than that funny, silent boy who was always stealing sweets and listening patiently while I poured out my troubles."

Padme leaned over and gently kissed Laurence's cheek, and Anakin felt his jealosy explode inside him. "Thank you for everything, Laurence," Padme said quietly. "But from now on, no more lies. Please."

Laurence nodded, but he knew that even with that small promise he could not speak the truth.

Anakin was staring forward, his face stone.

"Ani?" Padme asked in a soft voice.

He turned to her, struggling with his anger and heartbreak. "Don't be afraid," he said, trying to comfort her and distract her mind from Laurence at the same time.

"I'm not afraid to die," Padme answered. "I've been dying a little bit every day since-"

Before she could say more, the cart jerked forward and the cheers of the arena drowned out everything else.

Laurence shuddered slightly as the cart pulled them into the glaring Geonosian sunlight. He knew that Padme stood no chance in the arena. Weakened from the life transfer and his ordeal in the droid factory, he feared that all he would be able to do was stand by and watch her die. Clenching his jaw, he vowed he would not allow that to happen. Even if she was killed, it would only be over Laurence's dead body.

He could only hope that Darra wouldn't be there to witness it.

**...**

** Slightly short, but I thought it made for a good cliffhanger.**

** Due to popular request, I allowed Padme to find out Laurence's secret a little early. (I don't know if I was ever planning for her to find out, but this works much better for the story.) I hope it isn't too cheesy. I had a hard time writing that part out.**

** Yes, there is hinted Laurence/Padme in this chapter, but Padme has already seen the relationship between him and Darra and has also realized her own affections for Anakin.**

** I was going to have Padme and Anakin kiss in this chapter, but I liked Floating Leaves' idea about Anakin and Laurence having a little spat concerning Padme. Don't worry, there are still wedding bells in the near future. :)**


	15. The Arena

**Author's Note and Questions Answered:**

** I just love getting reviews from my wonderful readers. I never update until they start coming in so that I can answer questions, but the most important thing to me is the thoughtful feedback. A lot of the blanks have been filled in for this story because of suggestions and questions that I never thought about. I think this is the first story I will ever have completed in less than a year's worth of time, and it's all thanks to you guys! :D**

** Reminder - If I don't answer your questions, it's because they will show up in later chapters and I don't want to spoil anything. :)**

** Swfan () : If Anakin does turn to the dark side, it will not just be because of Padme's possible death. There would be a lot of other problems involved.**

** Floating Leaves: That's the third time you've provided inspiration for future chapters. I won't say how it works out, but your points will be adressed later into the story. It's funny you mentioned Laurence swearing not to be a Jedi again, because I actually had part 2 revolving around that somewhat. Are you sure you're not telepathically reading ahead?**

** ...**

Laurence couldn't help a slight smirk at the sick look on Anakin's face when he saw Obi-wan. The Jedi master was standing against a large stone column, his hands chained above his head. Obi-wan's face was a mixture of surprise and irritation at the turn of events.

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd got my message," he addressed Anakin as the geonosians led them away from the cart.

"I retransmitted it just you requested, Masterl," Anakin replied. He gave a slight shrug as the geonosian lifted the chain on his stun cuffs and connected it to the top of the pillar. "Then we decided to come and rescue you."

Obi-wan glanced at the restraints on his hands. "Good job."

Laurence winced as the geonosian guard roughly pulled him off the cart and led him towards the end pillar. Padme received similar treatment, but Laurence caught sight of her slipping a file into her mouth before her hands were chained over her head.

The pulling of his own chain aggravated the lacerations on his arms, but Laurence knew the wounds weren't serious. He wasn't welcoming the extra attention he'd receive though, as the smell of blood would attract the arena predators.

Cheers erupted through the stadium as several figures entered the high viewing booth. A geonosian leader called for silence, then with a flourish of his hand pronounced the beginning of the games.

Shouts and screams of anticipation rang through the air as three doors opened at the other side of the huge circle.

The first creature to enter was a reek, a huge red beast with three horns. It gave a great bellow as it the ground shook under its heavy footsteps.

Next an acklay, a crablike reptile with six legs and ferocious teeth, entered. It screeched horribly, charging at the geonosian rider who was jabbing it with an electric rod.

The third door revealed a large feline creature with multiple eyes and a forked rat's tail. Fearsome teeth, long claws, and impressive back spikes created the nexu's primary attack and defense. Some of the geonosians cheered as the creature launched itself at its guard and broke the drone's neck. The other guards quickly drove it away lest the early taste of blood should ruin the nexu's appetite.

Before the crowd's cheers could have a chance to die down, a fourth creature was released through the door. Laurence recognized it immediately as a massiff. The creatures were often used on Tatooine as domesticated guard animals, but on their home planet of Geonosis they were deadly opponents.

Shaking his head at the knowledge that he was probably going to be killed here, Laurence rolled his eyes and grabbed his chain between his cuffed hands. Leaning his full weight on his arms, he lifted his lower body until he could twist the chain around his ankle. As soon as he knew he was securely hanging upside down, Laurence released the chain and used his teeth to grab a lockpick from his ever handy glove compartments. Checking the position of the approaching animals, he shook his head agan and started fiddling with the stun cuffs.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Anakin said calmly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Laurence noted that Padme had managed to cut through one of her handcuffs. Quickly she began climbing up the pillar, using the chain as a rope.

"Just relax, concentrate!" Obi-wan ordered hastily as the creatures grew nearer.

"What about Padme?" Anakin asked.

Obi-wan spared a quick glance at the senator. "She seems to be on top of things," he replied.

Laurence allowed himself a slight grin as he saw Padme pull herself onto the top of the column. At least she would be safer up there.

Then chaos broke out.

The acklay reached Obi-wan first. With a gutteral roar it stabbed one of its claws towards the Jedi, barely missing as Obi-wan dodged out of the way. A second jab smashed through the chain holding Obi-wan to the pillar, granting him some freedom but no less danger.

Laurence looked up from his lock work just in time to see the massiff charge towards him. Giving the lockpick one more useless twist and berating himself for his lack of skill in that area, he dropped it to the ground and untangled his feet. Still upside down, he braced his legs against the column and shoved himself away, head butting the massiff in the stomach just as it leapt towards him. The creature yelped in pain and gave a small hop backwards, then ran forward once more as Laurence fell back against the pillar.

Grabbing the chain in both hands, Laurence let himself hang as he launched out both legs again in a side kick. He caught the massiff in the side, launching it some distance away. Laurence could hear the crowds roar in approval.

Taking a quick glance around, he saw Anakin leap onto the reek's back, winding his chain around the creature's nose horn as it began running wildly through the prison theatre. Suddenly there was a scream from Padme, and Laurence looked over in horror to see blood leaking from several long, shallow scratches across her back. The nexu that had attacked her leapt away momentarily, preparing for another attack.

Laurence heard a yelp hinting the nexu's attack was unsuccessful, but he had other things on his mind as the massiff charged once more. This time it ran around the pillar, avoiding Laurence's boots. Laurence heard the scrabbling of claws against the column and tried to twist away, but was unable to fully avoid the sharp knives that raked through his arm. Hissing in pain, Laurence flung his head into the massiff's as it screeched at him. Dazed and infuriated, the massiff snapped towards the guardian's throat. Laurence barely pulled back in time to save his face, and the creature latched onto his shoulder instead. Laurence shouted out as the jagged teeth dug in, and in a burst of adrenaline he pulled the massiff away from the pillar and slammed his shoulder into the column. Caught between Laurence's attack and the hard stone, the massiff was knocked senseless.

Breathing harshly, Laurence let the creature fall to the ground. Several stomps to the head ensured it would never wake again. Leaning against the pillar, Laurence knew he had spent too much precious energy. He couldn't take another fight like that one.

To Laurence's relief he didn't have to. Anakin had somehow gained control of the reek, and he drove it forward to kill the nexu attacking Padme. Padme had managed to unlock her other handcuff previously, and she jumped down behind Anakin. Sliding off the reek, she ran to Laurence as Anakin rode off to rescue Obi-wan.

As Padme began sawing at the stun cuffs with her file, Laurence looked over her shoulder and saw a hooded guard charge forward on its orray mount.

"Padme, look out!" he shouted as the guard reached into its belt for a weapon. Padme swung her gaze up and leapt out of the way as the orray drew nearer.

"Honestly, do I look that ugly?" a feminine voice drawled sarcastically from within the hood. "I never thought I'd be compared to a geonosian."

"Darra?" Laurence asked in astonishment.

The Jedi padawan threw her hood back, grinning from ear to ear. "What, you didn't think I'd come to rescue you?"

"Actually, I was taking care of that." Padme gave the blond a dark glare, her temper roused at Darra's semi-cocky attitude.

Darra raised an eyebrow as she jumped down from the orray. "You know, that file won't get you very far in a hurry." In a flash of movement she drew her lightsaber and severed the stun cuffs holding Laurence to the column. Helping the guardian to his feet, Darra gave Padme a smug grin.

"And you thought Anakin and I were bad," Laurence grumbled as he cradled his mangled arm and watched the two females.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Padme said vehemently, her dark glare never leaving Darra's face.

"Ooh, catfight," Darra smirked. "Can't make up your mind, can you?"

"Look, can we save this for later?" Laurence snapped, his temper frayed as his concentration began to slip. "Last I saw Obi-wan was about to get himself killed."

Darra immediately dropped her battle stance, her thoughts switching to the moment on hand. Anakin had temporarily rescued Obi-wan during Padme and Darra's "spat," and he drove the reek forward to join them.

"Hop on," he called as Obi-wan held out a hand to Padme.

Laurence helped the Senator up onto the great creature, then scrambled up to sit behind her. Anakin shot a glare back at him, clearly miffed that Laurence was hanging on to Padme. Darra meanwhile swung back into the orray's saddle and rode closer so she could reach Obi-wan and Anakin's stun cuffs. She quickly severed them with her lightsaber, allowing the Jedi some extra defense. Even with their hands free however, Laurence knew they didn't stand much chance getting out of here alive.

His suspicions were confirmed as several droidekas rolled into the arena. Darra's face was impassive as she raised her lightsaber, but Laurence knew she was recognizing a hopeless situation. There was no way they would make it out of this one.

Alone, they wouldn't have. But this time they had a little help.

Unexpectadly several figures entered the arena through the triple gates at the end, and Laurence caught sight of a flash of amythest in Count Dooku's viewing booth. Suddenly the stadium was filled with emerald and saphire blades, and Darra gave a shout of relief as she recognized Siri darting through one of the metal doorways. The Jedi had arrived.

Geonosians scattered like frightened ants, but Count Dooku didn't appear fazed. The sound of tramping feet echoed a warning just before several blaster bolts shot towards the Jedi Master.

Mace Windu managed to block the attack, but as he leapt into the air Jango fired a burst of flame towards him. The Jedi Master flipped and landed easily at the bottom of the stadium, tearing off his smoking cloak as he did so.

Laurence hung to Padme grimly as the reek charged back towards the end of the arena. His headache was vehemently protesting the pounding vibrations of the reek's heavy footfalls, and Laurence was beginning to wish he'd tangled with a krayat dragon instead. At least that promised a quick death.

Droids were now pouring into the arena as a small army of Jedi ran to meet them. Mace Windu and another Jedi tossed a couple of extra lightsabers to Obi-wan and Anakin, and for the first time in two years Laurence missed the feel of the graceful blade in his hand.

Chaos was everywhere as the geonosian warriors moved in. A blast of a sonic gun blew several Jedi back into the arena columns, killing them instantly. The reek threw itself backwards at the explosion, unseating its riders.

Laurence groaned as he fell hard onto the sand. Briefly he considered moving afterwards to some quiet, peaceful, off-world planet where nothing but an occasional annoying crow could disturb him.

Looking around quickly, he noted that Darra had fallen off her orray but appeared to be fine. Padme, daring as usual, grabbed a droid blaster and shot an ill fated geonosian out of its mini-chariot. Running up to the orray driving the cart, Padme hoisted herself onto its back and started shooting.

Laurence rolled his eyes and searched the littered arena for his own weapon. It was fine enough for Padme to have courage, but for her to place herself as such an obvious target? She was going to get herself killed! As if considering the same thing, Anakin jumped into the cart and began slicing the droids nearest the Senator.

Diving to the right and swiping out a battle droid with his leg, Laurence grabbed its blaster and lay flat out on the ground. He wasn't going to be as much help down here, but collapsing because he was half-dead with exhaustion wouldn't be a bright move either. It would be better to conserve his strength as much as possible.

The next few minutes were made up of picking off battle droids nearest Padme and scrambling through the dust for a fresh blaster. Laurence's heart fell as he saw a new battalion arriving however. Things were getting worse.

A sudden thudding vibration in the ground warned Laurence to danger even before the scream of the force through his force binder. Looking up, Laurence saw the reek only a few feet away. It was coming straight towards him.

There was no time to run, and scarcely any time for even a Jedi to scramble away. Injured and cut off from the force, Laurence didn't stand a chance. He saw his life flashing before his eyes for a moment, then someone grabbed him under the arms.

Yelping in discomfort, Laurence felt himself being pulled away from the crushing feet of the massive beast. Turning around, Laurence started to thank Darra for saving his life... and then he stopped short.

_Tru_.

It would seem impossible for an entire lifetime of memories to take place in mere seconds, but to Laurence it seemed that time had slowed as he saw his old friend. Everything came back to him as though it had happened yesterday. The missions they did together, their growing friendship at the temple, bantering with Darra... the tombs. Tru's cold eyes. _He felt like he could slip off that silvery gaze and disapear forever..._

_ Your friend's hatred is strong... like the Jedi's..._

Laurence shook the slithery voice away as it echoed in his head. He didn't know where it had come from, but it wasn't a part of his thoughts. Vaguely his mind conjured up images of the Sith in Korriban. Whispering, toying with his mind. He knew he shouldn't believe the lies, but the wound had already been reopened, the pain fresh.

Then the moment was over, and Tru had disapeared once more into the fray. He hadn't recognized Laurence. All he had seen was another near victim of the slaughter taking place. Laurence bit back his emotions as homesickness suddenly overwhelmed him. Suddenly he wished more than ever that he had never left the temple. He wanted nothing more than to be back home, but what was there to return to?

The memories returned, this time of those last few days before his departure. Darra had never come to see him. Ferus and Tru had ganged up on him, his best friend betraying him in the end. The worst part, Laurence realized once more, was that it had all been deserved. His pride had nearly brought about the death of a fellow padawan. Looking back now, Laurence realized he had made a terrible Jedi.

"Laurence, watch out!"

Darra's voice broke into his tortured thoughts as she shoved him back in time to avoid a blaster bolt.

"Get with it or stay down!" she shouted, the situation making her voice harsher than she had intended.

Laurence's mind snapped back to the present and he quickly dropped to the floor and started shooting again. He should never have dropped his concentration! What was done was done. He had left the temple years ago, and now was not the time to regret his decision. He still had the title "Queen's Guardian," and he wasn't about to collapse emotionally while he was supposed to be protecting those around him.

As he continued firing, something whispered in the force. It was a warning so gentle and unexpected that it nearly made Laurence drop his blaster. Never before had the force managed to get past his binder without screaming at him. Why did he hear it now... unless it was truly urgent?

Putting his blaster down slowly, Laurence uncatched the force binder. A small amount, not enough to be horrifically noticed, was allowed to flow through. Laurence gasped slightly as his senses clarrified, and he nearly slammed the binder shut for fear of being noticed by one of the many Jedi.

Then the force finally drew his attention to a small figure hiding in the shadows. It was a boy, perhaps twelve years old. Watching, worrying, ... about what?

Something clicked as Laurence felt the boy's life presence. An identical presence manifested just a short distance away from him, and with a shock Laurence realized that he was only a few feet away from the boy's father. But who -

Jango Fett.

Laurence had no further time to think as Mace Windu attacked the bounty hunter. His blaster flung away by a force push, Jango could only watch helplessly as the huge reek charged towards him, catching him up in its crushing feet.

Laurence didn't know why the force felt this life was so precious, but he didn't waste any time. Leaping to his feet, he grabbed the lightsaber of a fallen Jedi and raced towards the combatants.

Jango managed to scramble to his feet and shoot the reek between the eyes as it charged again, but his blaster was no hope against a Jedi blade. Mace Windu easily blocked the bolts and raised his lightsaber for a killing blow.

Without hesitation Laurence leapt between them, activating the blue lightsaber and blocking Mace Windu's blade in just the nick of time. Throwing out a hand, he flung Jango towards the doorways of the arena. His force aim was off from the limited force supply at his disposal and he only managed to throw the bounty hunter halfway across the arena floor.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mace Windu demanded in shock.

Laurence could sense the Jedi Master's confusion and surprise at his actions. He sensed Mace Windu's presence, and he knew that it wouldn't take more than a padawan by now to realize that the Queen's Guardian had a lot more medichlorians than he had originally claimed.

Laurence held his tongue in regards to Mace Windu's question. Neither of the two had a chance to argue the matter as it was, and the subject was dropped. In Mace Windu's mind however, it was far from forgotten.

As he spun the lightsaber to block another blaster bolt, Laurence snapped the binder closed and glanced up briefly to note that Jango had made it to the doorways. The bounty hunter looked back at Laurence, giving his rescuer a long, scrutinizing gaze. Then he ducked past the metal gateways and disapeared. Laurence breathed a slight sigh of relief. His task was completed, though he still didn't understand the purpose of it.

Despite his connection to the force being cut off again, Laurence found that his movements were becoming more fluid as his body began to remember its training in the use of a lightsaber. Durusteel poles were made for a brawling, a desperate means of survival. Lightsaber maneuvers were meant to block enemy fire, yet were as fluid and graceful as a Twi'lek dancer.

Laurence felt some of his exhaustion melt away as he was swept into the ancient rythm of the Jedi weapon. He felt like he belonged here once more, with a saber in his hands and his fellow Jedi surrounding him. If only he could have realized this years before. How different things would have been!

Out of the corner of his eye, Laurence saw the orray Padme was riding catch a stray blaster bolt. Silly girl, that bolt could just as easily have caught her in the head! Laurence feared for the Senator, but was relieved as she and Anakin rose to their feet and took refuge in front of the fallen chariot. Laurence turned his attention back to his own danger.

All around them Jedi were falling as more and more droids came in. Laurence's heart was heavy as he realized that less than a handful of the original group of Jedi were still alive. Where was Darra? He wanted to search for her, but it was all he could do to keep from getting himself shot. Laurence began to wish he hadn't closed the force binder after saving Jango.

Mace Windu shot Laurence a glance of approval at his fighting techniques. Laurence knew he was in for it if they got out of here alive. Questions about his training would arise, the council summoned, and after that... well, he wasn't ready to think that far.

Abruptly the fighting around them ceased as the battle droids put their blasters down. Laurence plopped down onto the hard packed sand and panted, his adrenaline spent. Searching desperately, he was relieved to see Darra standing a little ways away. Darra's face brightened like a small sun as she saw him, and she ran to his side. Mace Windu gave them a suspicious glance, but Darra ignored it as she made sure Laurence was okay.

"Tru?" he asked in a hushed voice.

Darra gave him a look of surprise then glanced around. Laurence spotted the Jedi padawan lying on his side nearby. He was clutching his shoulder, his lightsaber lying useless on the ground next to him.

Darra gasped softly and ran to him. All of Laurence's past resentment towards Tru dissapated as he noted the padawan's injury. A sudden realization hit him. They were probably facing death together. All of them were. Suddenly all Laurence wanted was to have his once best friend by his side as the cold hand of fate closed around them all.

"Master Windu," a voice rang out.

Laurence looked up to see Count Dooku adressing the Jedi.

"You have fought gallantly. Worthy of recognition in the archives of the Jedi Order. Now, it is finished. Surrender, and your lives will be spared."

Laurence felt a burst of anger at the former Jedi's words. How dare he speak in such a manner when he had just murdered so many Jedi! All Dooku was doing now was gloating over his "prize." They were absolutely helpless to defeat him.

"We will not be hostages to be bartered, Dooku," Mace Windu said fiercely in response.

Count Dooku sighed, scarecly apologetic. "Then, I'm sorry old friend," he answered as he lifted his hand for the massacre to continue.

Laurence stood up again, taking a deep breath to try and dispell the blackness boarding on his vision. He would probably be one of the first to fall. What a strange way to die, after having danced with fate for so long. Laurence had always expected a gruesome end during his Coruscant street days, but he never thought that a hoard of droids would be his end. Droids were mindless robots who could only maneuver according to their programming. He detested the fact that one of those hunks of metal could destroy him.

"Look!" Padme suddenly gasped as a whirring sound filled the stadium.

Several ships zoomed downwards, drawing the droid's fire power.

"Where did they come from?" Laurence asked as he blocked a blaster bolt coming towards him.

The ships lowered towards them, firing at the droids as they landed. A steady barrage of blaster bolts still flew at the Jedi however as they tried to reach the safety of the vessels. Laurence ran to Darra as she struggled with Tru. The padawan's face was drawn with pain as Laurence helped Darra take him to one of the ships. Siri appeared at their side and climbed in as well. Instantly she pulled out a med pack and started bandaging Tru's shoulder.

"That's all we can take on this one," an armed trooper informed Darra and Laurence as several other wounded Jedi were put on board.

Darra nodded and pulled Laurence away so the ship could take off. "Over here," she ordered as she dragged him towards the carrier where she had spotted Obi-wan.

"Mi'lady, there's already - "

"Oh, don't give me that!" Darra snapped as she leapt onto the ship, followed closely by Laurence. Looking around, Darra noted in relief that Padme and Anakin had also survived the battle.

"Are you all right?" Obi-wan asked over the noise as Darra helped Laurence over to the wall and pulled out a med pack.

"I'll live," Laurence replied. Darra could see the strain on his face however, and knew he had reached his limit a long time ago.

As she glanced towards the battle taking place on the sandy terrain below, Darra took note of a small ship taking off. It was not one of the carriers that their rescuers had arrived in.

Obi-wan noticed it too, and from the look on his face Darra knew he was unhappy.

"He got away," Obi-wan muttered.

"Who?" Anakin questioned.

"Jango Fett," Obi-wan answered shortly.

Darra noticed Laurence's eyes shift slightly. He looked nervous and almost ashamed over something. Her own eyes narrowing, Darra made a mental note to question him about it later.

Just then the carrier rocked back and forth as several shots were fired at it.

"Hold on!" Obi-wan instructed as he grabbed a handhold. Padme and Anakin quickly followed suit, and Darra felt her shoulder grabbed by a concerned soldier. She gave him a quick nod of thanks and continued bandaging Laurence's arm.

"Aim right above the fuel cells," Anakin ordered the pilot as they neared several metal structures.

The explosion was instantaneous as one of the structures collapsed to the ground.

"Good call, my young padawan," Obi-wan praised. Darra noticed a brief flash of something cross Laurence's face, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. The guardian had become nearly a master at steeling his emotions, but she could still see the pain in his eyes.

"Attack those federation starships, quickly!" Obi-wan called as he pointed to several of the large spheres leaving the ground.

The carrier's missils had little effect on the starships, but cannons from below were able to take on of the spheres down. The starship fell to the ground with a crash, raising a thick cloud of dust all around them.

Darra blinked furiously and covered her eyes with her sleeve as the dust particles swirled around. The carrier swerved as the pilot strained to see ahead.

"Look, over there!" Obi-wan shouted above the commotion as the cloud of sand began to clear.

Darra peered over the edge of the ship and caught sight of what Obi-wan was pointing at. Count Dooku was racing away on a small speeder, two other ships guarding him.

"It's Dooku. Shoot him down!" Anakin ordered.

"We're out of rockets, sir," the pilot answered.

"Follow him," Anakin retorted, refusing to accept defeat.

"We're going to need some help!" Padme objected.

"There's no time," Obi-wan yelled over the noise. "Anakin and I can handle this!"

Obviously he was expecting Darra to stay behind and guard the Senator. Darra wasn't sure she liked this, but she would do it if neccessary. "Don't even think about following us," Darra gave Laurence a sharp glare as she tied the bandage.

Laurence managed a half smile. Tangling with Count Dooku was the furthest thing from his mind right now.

Suddenly the ships guarding Count Dooku swerved away. Laurence felt a brief flash of confusion before several missils exploded on the sand dunes nearby. The ships were firing at them!

Darra turned and clung to the controls on the wall as the carrier swerved to avoid the attack. A lucky shot managed to hit the vessel however, and Laurence heard Padme cry out. He looked up just in time to see the Senator fly off the ship.

Instinct overcame reason. Laurence was the queen's guardian, and the senator's personal security guard. It was only nature for him to act in according.

Without a second thought, Laurence launched himself off the carrier.

**...**

** This is George. George is a droideka who likes to destroy windows. If you place him in a greenhouse, he will think he is in heaven. If you put him in the Jedi Temple, you will probably be facing the same reality.**

** (Tribute to my older sister and her favorite destroyer droid) ;)**

** Also, I just want to let the readers know that Jilzan (from chapter 4) is up for adoption by anyone who wants to use him. I've already donated him to another story and I don't mind if other people decide they want to add him to their own works. Just let me know before you do, and keep in mind that since he represents one of my stories, I'd appreciate it if he wasn't written with any incest/profanity in mind. Oh, and he must be crazy. ;) **

** Anyways, I don't know if Tru was specifically reported to be anywhere else during the arena battle, but I decided to add him anyways. Contrary to what I've written so far, I actually like Tru. Before the tenth book he was one of my favorite side characters, so you might be seeing him a little more often if I can fit him into the plotline. (At least you'll be getting a bit of Tru angst every now and then.)**

** I also added some Darra vs. Padme rivalship just for fun. Padme hasn't proclaimed her love to Anakin yet, so things are a little confusing for her. Once AOTC is over things will calm down though, and the only "rivalship" will be a one sided debate between Laurence and Anakin. **

** Please Review! I'm a little spoiled, so I feel unloved if no one gives me feedback. Depressed writers = slow updates, so make sure and drop a comment if you like the chapter. :)**


	16. Fight With Dooku

**Whoo-hoo! I finally feel like writing again! The past week or so I've been really lazy, but now I get to try and update three stories all at once! (I'm writing for Naruto and Star Wars, PLUS I'm trying to finish a history and english class.) Well, I'll try and update as fast as possible at least. **

** (P.S. Writer on caffeine. Be warned.)**

** Moving on now. Author's Note and Questions answered: **

** Thank you to Ladygoddess8 and T (), my two newest reviewers. Reviews have been slow lately, so it was a big encouragement to see that more people are enjoying this.**

** And of course, a big thank you to The Tainted Knight, Floating Leaves, and Sw fan () who have been constant reviewers for nearly every chapter. **

** Don't worry, I haven't forgotten everyone else who reviewed, not to mention all the people who brought me into the 4 digit zone for story views. Your support is invaluable, and this story would be nowhere without it.**

** Okay, back to the questions.**

** Hmmm. No questions this time. Well then, on to the story! :D **

**...**

Of all the things he could have done, jumping out of a moving ship was not the smartest option he could have chosen. Laurence felt the breath slam out of his lungs as he hit the ground and roll to the base of the sand dune. Giving himself a quick checkover, Laurence suspected that besides aggravating his initial injuries, he had managed to crack a rib or two when he fell. Laurence groaned and let his head fall back onto the sand. There were some times when he wondered if he really was as as much an idiot as Owen accused him of being.

Grimacing and clutching his arm, Laurence rolled to his stomach and crawled over to where Padme had fallen. She appeared to be all right, but she had a nasty bruise on her forehead. Laurence hoped it wouldn't turn into anything serious.

Flopping back against the sand, Laurence closed his eyes and waited for help to arrive. Soon enough he heard the running footsteps of what he _hoped_ was a friendly soldier. Drawing his blaster anyways, he sat up quickly and pointed the weapon at the approaching figure. Moving fast had done nothing well for Laurence's headache however, and he found the world fading into a haze as he squinted towards the shadowy figure.

"It's all right sir," a filtered voice called out. "I'm not going to harm you."

Laurence shook the mist away from his eyes and felt the blaster drop from his hands. His head suddenly made contact with the soft sand, and he wondered vaguely if he had fallen again.

"Get him to a medic!" Padme's voice rang out. Laurence started, surprised to note that she was awake. He then smiled slightly, glad she was all right.

"Right away, Senator," the trooper answered. "We'd better get you back to the forward command center.

"No!" Padme answered, her shouts bringing a wince to Laurence's face as his headache worsened. "No. Get Laurence to a medic, then gather what troops you have. We've got to get to that hangar. Get a transport. Hurry!"

"Right away!" the trooper replied.

Laurence felt an armored grip scoop him up, and he finally lost his grip on consciousness. The world spun behind his closed eyes before everything went mercifully silent.

...

Darra shouted out in frustration and horror when Laurence launched himself over the side of the ship. Did that _imbicele _never think before he acted? Her heart leaping into her throat, she watched Laurence roll down the side of the dune. It was everything Darra could do to keep from jumping over the side of the ship herself. Torn between ending a war and helping Laurence, she could only take comfort in the fact that Padme and the trooper who had also been knocked from the ship might be able to provide some aid to her fallen knight.

Anakin however, had a separate opinion of what to do about the matter.

"Put the ship down!" he screamed as he leaned over the edge.

"Anakin!" Obi-wan called as he jumped to his padawan's side. "Don't let your personal feelings get in the way." Turning to the clone, he ordered, "Follow that speeder."

"Lower the ship!" Anakin repeated as the cannonfire continued to blast around them.

"Darra and I can't take on Dooku alone," Obi-wan objected. "We need you! If we catch him we can end this war right now! We have a job to do!"

"I don't care! Put the ship down!" Anakin shouted defiantly.

The pilot gave Darra a worried glance, and she indicated for him to keep going. He nodded in relief and drove the carrier forward.

"You will be expelled from the Jedi Order!" Obi-wan continued.

"I can't leave her!"

Darra fiddled with her lightsaber nervously. What had gotten into Anakin? He had always had difficulty with his unreined temper, and yelling matches with Obi-wan were fairly common, but Anakin had never lost control before. It frightened Darra.

"Come to your senses!" Obi-wan shouted. "What do you think Padme would do if she were in your position?"

This seemed to calm the raging padawan. "She would do her duty," Anakin finally admitted.

Obi-wan nodded in satisfaction. "Follow that speeder," he confirmed to the pilot.

Darra sighed in relief and tried to ignore the harsh emotions rolling off of Anakin. She shuddered inwardly. Mentally Darra made a note to mention the incident to Master Windu when they returned.

Only a short time later, Dooku's ship disapeared into a doorway carved into the side of a cliff. The Jedi activated their lightsabers as the cargo ship pulled alongside the platform.

Darra felt a warning call in the force as they darted away. Immediately afterwards the cargo ship burst into flames as the enemy rockets finally hit their target. Silently Darra mourned the death of the troopers on board, then focused her mind on the task ahead.

Dooku turned around as the entered, a lone droid speeding away from him. Anakin quickly moved to stand between the Count and his escape transport.

"You're going to pay for all the Jedi you killed today, Dooku." Anakin said vehemently.

"We'll take him in slowly," Obi-wan ordered softly. "Darra, you take him in from the right, Anakin - "

"I'm taking him NOW!" Anakin growled as he ran at the Count.

"No! Anakin, no! No!"

Obi-wan's warning was unheeded as Anakin threw himself at Dooku.

Dooku merely raised a hand, shooting deadly bolts of lightning towards the raging padawan. Anakin felt back against the wall with a scream of agony, bolts of electricity running through his body.

Darra gave a worried glance in Anakin's direction, but was forced to revert her attention to Dooku. Slowly she paced to the right as Obi-wan moved to the left.

"As you can see, my powers are far beyond yours," Dooku said coldly. "Now, back down."

Raising his right hand again, he shot a lightning bolt towards Obi-wan. The Jedi Master raised his lightsaber slightly, allowing the energy bolts to curl around the saphire blade.

"I don't think so," Ob-wan replied.

Anakin groaned and writhed against the wall, his nerves screaming as the electric shock died down. Mentally he berated himself. How could he have been so stupid? Once again he had jumped into a situation without thinking, and once more he had paid the price.

Anakin hadn't reconded his fellow Jedi paying for his mistake as well however. Before Anakin's eyes, Dooku suddenly lifted his left hand again and force threw Darra into a wall. Unprepared for such a violent attack, the padawan slammed against the rock support structure and fell to the floor, unconscious.

"No!" Obi-wan shouted as his concentration slipped. Immediately Dooku barraged the Jedi Master with lightning again, and Obi-wan barely raised his lightsaber in time.

Undaunted, Dooku reached for the curved lightsaber handle at his belt and activated it in one smooth motion. A crimson blade snap-hissed to life, and a chill ran up Anakin's spine. Only the sith used the red crystals for their lightsabers. Once more Anakin tried to get up, but his body was weak from the electricity still.

A second later Obi-wan threw the first attack at Dooku, and the air was quickly filled with grunts and clashing lightsabers. Obi-wan's attack was fast and hard, yet Dooku blocked the moves with ease.

"Master Kenobi, you disappoint me," Dooku taunted smoothly. "Yoda holds you in such high esteem."

The Count's eyes gleamed as Obi-wan struck out again. "Surely you can do better!"

Anakin twisted against the wall, still trying to numb out the pain of Dooku's attack. He knew he should be accepting the pain, allowing his body to heal faster, but all he could think of was fighting it. He didn't have time to wait for the endorphins to do their job. Anakin needed to move _now._

Even now was too late however, as Dooku's lightsaber suddenly lashed out and caught Obi-wan's left arm. Obi-wan gave a cry of pain just before the crimson blade struck again, deeply grazing his left leg. The Jedi master collapsed to the floor, clutching his wounds.

Dooku twirled his blade disspationately and Anakin found his strength returning as his concern for his master overwhelmed the pain. Launching himself away from the wall with a shout of rage, Anakin directed his green lightsaber into the path of Dooku's blade just as it swung towards Obi-wan for the final blow.

"Brave of you boy," Dooku said as he quickly covered up the slight burst of confusion that had spread across his face, "But I would have thought you had learned your lesson."

"I am a slow learner," Anakin replied cooly before twisting Dooku's lightsaber away.

"Anakin!" Obi-wan called as he flipped his lightsaber in the padawan's direction.

Anakin caught it easily and activated it, attacking Dooku with the advantage of two blades. Dooku was harder kept now to keep up with the steady barrage Anakin threw at him, but he still managed to hold his own. Soon enough Anakin found himself retreating quickly as Dooku began lashing out faster, and he pulled his hand away as the crimson blade seared through his green lightsaber handle.

Falling back, Anakin sliced through a power coupling, trying to buy himself some time. He had sorely underestimated Dooku, and he wished now that he had stayed with his Master instead of attempting to take on the Count by himself.

Stepping back further, Anakin rapidly searched his mind for what Laurence would have done in this kind of situation. The Guardian would have kept his cool, that much was certain. He would probably have waited for the enemy to come to him. Yes, that would give Anakin the better advantage in this case.

Anakin didn't have time to consider further as Dooku attacked once more. Despite the dark corridor, Dooku was fully capable of fighting to the best of his abilites. Anakin found himself having use the force to watch his feet and Dooku's blades at the same time. Several crucial seconds passed before the lights flickered on again, and Anakin put his whole concentration into his attacks.

A sudden fumble brought around his downfall. Stumbling slightly over a severed cord, Anakin missed an obvious feint by Dooku's lightsaber. He raised his own blade to block the attack, only to find that it wasn't there. The force screamed at him, and Anakin could only watch helplessly as Dooku's crimson blade sliced down towards his unprotected side.

Anakin screamed as he felt the lightsaber shear through his arm, just below the elbow. The ravaged nerve cells clouded Anakin's mind with pain as he felt himself being thrown backwards against Obi-wan. Barely able to breath through the agony, Anakin could only curl in and pull the mangled limb towards himself. Through the fog of pain he saw Obi-wan's horrified gaze, but the consuming fire along his arm quickly blocked out everything else.

...

Obi-wan could only watch in horror as his padawan fell to the floor, his arm severed at the elbow. Anakin closed his eyes, curling up as though to protect what was left of the severed limb. Dooku bent his head and deactivated his lightsaber, seemingly tired out from the struggle.

A slight tapping of a cane brought the Count's attention back to the present, however. Obi-wan looked up and saw a shadow lengthen as a figure approached. He couldn't describe how relieved he was to see Yoda standing there.

"Master Yoda," Dooku said in some slight surprise.

"Count Dooku," Yoda responded.

"You have interferred in our affairs for the last time," Dooku said calmly as he raised his hand and threw a hunk of metal towards the Jedi Master.

Yoda dropped his cane and caught the metal with the force, launching it away to hit the wall.

Dooku tried again, and when that attack was also foiled, lifted both hands to rain chunks of rock down from the ceiling. Once more Yoda easily halted the attack, throwing the missils to the side.

"Powerful you have become, Dooku," Yoda said in his raspy voice. He sighed. "The dark side I sense in you."

"I've become more powerful than any Jedi," Dooku boasted. "Even you." With those words he launched his sith lightning towards Yoda.

Yoda didn't flinch as he caught the lightning in his hand and threw it back towards Count Dooku. Dooku's eyes widened and he quickly directed the attack towards the ceiling. Obi-wan watched in amazement, unable to grasp the display of power. Once again Dooku attempted to electrocute the small green Master, but his efforts were useless.

"Much to learn, you still have," Yoda rasped.

"It is obvious that this contest cannot be decided by our knowledge of the force," Dooku stated as he drew his blade, "But by our skills with a lightsaber." Twirling his lightsaber with a flourish, he waited for Yoda to make his move.

Yoda's posture was strict and formal as he moved his cload aside and drew his tiny green blade. Without further warning, Dooku flipped into a divebomb and Yoda launched himself forward with a yell.

Obi-wan stared in awe as the duo fought. Yoda flipped through the air and danced around Dooku's legs, putting the Count at a disadvantage due to his heigth. Dooku still managed to block Yoda's blows with amazing speed, though Obi-wan could see that he was swiftly tiring. Steadily the green master forced Dooku to retreat until the Count was nearly cornered against his ship.

"Fought well you have, my old padawan," Yoda panted.

"This is just the beginning," Dooku replied darkly.

Raising his hand towards a large metal pillar, he sent it crashing down towards Obi-wan and Anakin. Obi-wan drew back, but realized that neither he nor Anakin would be to escape in time with their condition. To his relief Yoda turned and caught the collapsing structure with the force, sacrificing Dooku's capture to save the two Jedi.

Obi-wan watched in slight trepidation as the column continued to screech towards them. _There is no death, there is only the force._ He took comfort in the words and readied himself for whatever might happen.

Just before it could crush the two Jedi, the column halted and soared back to land behind them with a crash. Laying his head back down, Obi-wan allowed himself to feel a fleeting burst of aftershock before calming himself with the force. The distraction with the column had been enough to let Dooku escape however, and the Jedi could only watch helplessly as his ship flew away.

Obi-wan sighed softly, then turned to Anakin as the padawan began to regain consciousness. Anakin moaned and clutched his wounded arm, his mind oblivious to everything but the pain. Slowly Obi-wan sat up, carefully lifting Anakin so as to cause the padawan as little further pain as possible.

Padme and several clones ran in at that instant, and one of the clones pulled out a med pac for the two Jedi.

"We'll take you back to the base immediately," the medical trooper assured Obi-wan as he smeared Anakin's wound with bacta. Obi-wan nodded slightly, his mind numb from everything that had taken place. As he watched, another trooper examined Darra and confirmed that she would be all right.

Obi-wan sighed deeply and allowed a clone trooper to help him to his feet. Dooku had escaped, but they were all alive.

Suddenly Obi-wan remembered they were still missing one member of the group.

"Where's Laurence?"

**...**

** (Dooku) "Master Yoda."**

** (Yoda) "Count Dooku."**

** (Timon) "Timon, Pumba. Great! Now that everyone knows each other, WOULD SOMEONE MIND TELLING ME WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND HERE?"**

** (Movie quote take-on from Simba's Pride)**

** ...**

** Things to note about the past couple chapters:**

** When I mentioned Obi-wan jumping to the side of the cargo ship, he literally jumped. Obi-wan practically rocked the ship, and I doubt the loud thump was merely blaster fire. Of course, it's better than the "Magically teleporting Jedi" in Phantom Menace. **

** Anyone ever notice that part? During the destroyer droid attack outside the doors (when Qui-gon is attempting to drive his lightsaber blade through the blast doors in order to get to Nute Gunray), the Jedi suddenly zip away from the doors and appear all the way down the hallway. Talk about weird...**

**.com/watch?v=joTzwjVUSo4**** (You can find it here. I would suggest starting at 5:00)**

**Also, Obi-wan's tunic has a habit of flipping all the way up to the belt. It happens when he's fighting the acklay in AOTC, when he leaps off the balcony to rescue the queen on Naboo in Phantom menace, and when he jumps down to meet Grevious in ROTS. Between that and his fancy moves with his lightsaber, Obi-wan is almost the most hilarious character of the series.**

** ...**

** Okay, now to the author's note: **

** Shorter chapter, yes. It was a perfect transfer point.**

** No, I didn't save Anakin's arm. I considered the option, but decided an amputation would better fit the sequels. Also, I did elaborate on the details a little, since it didn't make sense that Anakin would just sit there and whine a bit after getting his arm cut off.**

**Next chapter is the end of AOTC!**

** I think.**


	17. End of an Era

**This is a pretty long chapter, as I was trying to compound all the loose ends into chapter 17. (It seems like a lucky number for this story.) **

**If I missed anything big, let me know. I will either add those parts to this chapter, or let the readers know if those parts will be explained later.**

**...**

**I know that some people had been hoping that Anakin's arm wasn't cut off. I almost changed that part, but decided to leave it in. There is a good possiblility I will use that little fact in the following sequel. Also, I did keep Dooku around since he's one of the important factors of ROTC. **

**In answer to Floating Leaves' question about Anakin going crazy after Padme fell out of the ship, I am trying to emphasize the emotional imbalance that came as a complication of cloning a Jedi. Even without that, Anakin has always been highly protective of Padme. (In ROTC he was angry because he thought Obi-wan and Padme were seeing each other behind his back.) Even with Laurence being there, to me it would only seem natural for Anakin to consider Padme in danger if he wasn't there to protect her himself. I hope that clears things up a little. :)**

**...**

**I believe it was Floating Leaves that requested an arguement between Anakin and Laurence about Padme. Well, wish granted in chapter 17! ;P Laurence finally gets his say...**

**...**

Anakin woke slowly, his head feeling clouded and sore. Forcing his eyes open, he winced at the brightly lit room. His headache sharpened a moment, then melted back into a dull throb.

"Anakin, you're awake!"

Anakin's heart leapt as he heard the voice of his angel ring out. "Padme - " he started to rasp as his dry throat protested.

Padme smiled brightly as she poured a glass of water and held it to his lips. Anakin drank deeply, relishing the cool liquid.

"Wha' 'appened?" he asked hoarsely, his brain still muddled from whatever drug they must have given him. Anakin could tell now that he was in a medical ward, though he wasn't quite sure why.

Padme's gaze softened. "Don't you remember? You, Darra, and Obi-wan took on Count Dooku. That was right after - "

"The Geonosian attack," Anakin nodded as it started to come back. "They were trying to - " his voice broke off suddenly as an unwanted memory crashed on him.

"Padme, they didn't - did they - " horrified, Anakin flung the blankets back before Padme could stop him. There, glaring at him like an inescapable parasite, was a metal implant. Devestated, Anakin clutched the artificial arm and sank back against the pillows.

"I wanted to break it to you slowly," Padme said with tears in her eyes, "But you didn't give me time. The doctors couldn't save your arm after... after what happened. They had no choice but to give you an artificial one."

Anakin nodded slightly, his mind numb. His arm was gone, and he felt like a part of him had died with it. To lose a limb or worse was always a risk as a Jedi, but somehow Anakin had never imagined it happening to him.

"Ani?" Padme's eyes were full of concern and sympathy. "Ani, it's going to be okay. The Jedi say you can learn to use a sythnetic arm just as well as your regular one." Her voice softened. "It won't keep you from continuing as a Jedi."

Anakin ignored her words, his thoughts swirling around in his head. To lose his arm - it was as though a part of his life had been taken away! No comforting words could give back to him what he had lost. It wasn't fair!

The swishing of the door broke into Anakin's dark thoughts, and he turned to see Laurence standing in the doorway. The Queen's Guardian looked worse for wear. His arm was bandaged tightly up to the shoulder, and his face was covered in bruises. Laurence still offered a bright smile as he entered the room, much to Padme's chagrin.

"You're supposed to be in bed," the senator lectured as she stood up and planted her hands on her hips.

"Please, it's been forty-eight hours," Laurence complained. "I'm _bored_."

"For once in your life, can't you let yourself heal completely before trying to kill yourself all over again?" Padme asked as she rolled her eyes.

Laurence smirked. "No."

"I think I liked you better when you didn't talk," Anakin growled as he flopped back against the pillows. He didn't like the easy way Laurence and Padme were getting along. It made him feel like he had been shoved out of his angel's life.

Laurence made a face. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Turning to Padme, he asked, "Is Mister Reek-rider too pouty to be left alone, or can I talk to him for a few minutes?"

Padme smiled and shook her head. "Laurence, you'll be the death of yourself." Patting Anakin's shoulder reassuredly, she walked to the door. Stopping to give Laurence a quick affectionate kiss on the cheek, she warned, "Fifteen minutes."

"Yes, _Mom_," Laurence replied with a cheeky grin as he stepped inside.

Anakin's gaze darkened and he tried to ignore the implications a single kiss could represent.1

Laurence paced a moment and ran his uninjured hand through his hair. Finally halting, he pulled up a chair and sat down next to the bed.

"So... uh," Laurence ran a hand through his hair, obviously nervous. Apparently giving up on phrasing what was on his mind, he finally asked, "How's the arm?"

Anakin glared at him but chose to remain polite despite the idiocy of the question. "It's fine," he lied. "Yours?"

Laurence shrugged and raised his arm slightly, then winced and massaged it. "Darra thinks I'm resting right now. She's going to be in a tizzy when she finds out I'm gone."

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Shouldn't you head back then? Before you fall unconscious, I mean?"

Laurence ran a hand through his hair again and muttered something about escaping mechanical nurses.

Anakin couldn't help a slight grin, then his face turned serious. "Why are you here?"

Laurence started to speak, hestitated, then grinned and held out a small sparkling ring.

"I just couldn't wait to tell anyone! I think you can guess who it's for," Laurence said happily. "I wanted to let you know first, seeing as you two were such great friends and all."

Anakin felt his heart stop. It couldn't be - not his angel!

But then again, how many times had he seen them together? For so long he had suspected...

"When did it happen?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

Laurence babbled on, oblivious to Anakin's pain. "Right after Geonosis - after I woke up that is. You know, we've been planning this since Naboo, but after what happened I just couldn't put it off any longer - hey, are you going to be sick or something?"

Laurence looked on worriedly as Anakin clenched the covers between his fists.

"You always were in love with her, weren't you?" Anakin asked in a gravely tone.

Laurence looked slightly preturbed. "Well, actually no. I just had to - "

"Just had to what? Steal Padme behind my back? Let her lead me on while she was really in love with you?" Anakin knew he was acting like anything _but_ a Jedi right now, but the rage coursing through him was inexplicable, and therefore uncontrollable.

Laurence meanwhile, felt his own tension rising from Anakin's blatant accusation. "You're the one to talk," he growled, his old anger beginning to return as he remembered the night he realized Padme was gone forever. "I never told you that day how it felt, did I?" Laurence's voice shook with barely controlled fury as every single moment since Anakin walked into the room began to replay in his mind. "I never spoke! Why? Because I didn't want to hurt _her_ because of it! Because _you _decided to come in and ruin everything just before I was going actually ask her to marry me!"

Anakin leapt to his feet at Laurence's admission. "How dare you steal Padme from me!" he shouted. "You never spoke! You never did _anything_ for her! I told her I would marry her when I was ten years old! All you ever did was lie to her!"

Something snapped inside of Laurence, and without thinking of the consequence he threw a fist out and caught Anakin right in the jaw. The padawan fell with a crash but instantly recovered as the adrenaline from his anger pushed him over the edge. Scrambling up, he threw himself at Laurence, throwing them both off balance and onto the floor.

Both young men had no business fighting. Anakin was still weakened from the surgery on his arm, but Laurence was in no condition to be doing anything. Adrenaline and fury coursed through each of them however, and what Anakin had over Laurence in stamina, Laurence made up for with dirty play. He hadn't trained in Coruscant's underground for nothing.

As Anakin threw a fist into Laurence's eyebrow, the guardian launched a foot up, catching Anakin in the groin and throwing him over Laurence's head and into the wall. In pain but unfazed, Anakin launched himself back again and pinned Laurence's good arm to the floor with his mechanical hand while he used the other to administer his own punches.

For a moment it seemed that Anakin would walk out the winner, but with a yell of rage Laurence tore his left arm free of the bandages and drove a fist into the padawan's chin. Slightly dazed, Anakin fell back enough for Laurence to scramble free. Then they were back on the floor again, rolling into tables and shattering equipment as each tried to gain the upper hand.

Laurence was the first to tire, but he gained an advantage as he grabbed Anakin's mechanical hand. Anakin quickly realized that with the barely healed arm, he risked tearing his muscles away from the appliance. Throwing out blows with his other hand, he shouted in frustration. Laurence spit away the blood running from his lip and kicked his leg upwards, letting go of Anakin's arm just in time to send the padawan crashing back into the wall again.

By now both young men were nearly incapable of fighting. Laurence was barely able to stand, while Anakin's mechanical arm was completely useless. This didn't stop them however as Laurence aimed a right sock at Anakin's eye before they were on the ground wrestling again.

"What in the blazes in going on here!" Obi-wan ran in at that instant, having heard the noise from across the hall. "Anakin! Laurence! Stop that this instant!"

Hurrying forward, Obi-wan grabbed each of the wrestlers by their collar and pulled them apart. Anakin glared while Laurence just sat back and stared at the wall. Both young men were gasping for breath, and Obi-wan wondered how they had managed to start a brawl in their condition.

"What is going on here?" he demanded as he looked between the two of them and surveyed the wreckage.

Anakin fiddled with his mechanical arm, which Obi-wan could tell needed immediate medical attention. "Ask him!" Anakin said harshly.

Obi-wan glared at his padawan. "I'm asking _both _of you."

The two men remained sullen and silent, and Obi-wan got his first good look at them together. Since he had recognized a second force signature on Geonosis, Obi-wan had known that Anakin's first clone had reappeared. When he had seen Laurence and Anakin in the cart at the arena, his suspicions had been confirmed.

Now he wondered how he had ever managed to miss the obvious similarities. Laurence's hair was dyed a deep raven color, but at the roots Obi-wan could see a light honey-blond begin to show through. The scar on Laurence's forehead was a distraction, but once that was ignored it was easy to see the same facial features that he and Anakin shared. True, the young men were not identical. Laurence's face was slightly leaner and harder, no doubt the result of fighting criminals at a young age. His eyes were the same as Anakin's however, and if Obi-wan studied Laurence closely enough, he was sure he would be able to see every emotion displayed in them.

Running a hand through his hair, Obi-wan wondered what he would tell the council. Obviously both of the young men shared the same uncontrollable tempers, though from what he had seen, Laurence was more capable of holding his anger back. Like Anakin, Laurence no doubt had a great deal of force capability as well. Obi-wan suspected the guardian was using some sort of device or training to repress his powers, but for what reason he wasn't sure.

The question was, what _had_ Anakin's clone been created for? It couldn't have been for a plot against the queen. Laurence had thrown his life on the line far too many times for that. Could it be that he had been created to protect her? If so, why had he been working in Coruscant's underground levels for so many years? Had he escaped his 'creator' and sought to find his own identity amongst the scum of the galaxy? Obi-wan didn't know.2

"Do you mind telling me what's going on here?" he asked in a slower tone, punctuating every syllable.

Anakin continued to brood on the floor, while Laurence ran a hand through his hair agitatedly.

"I'm waiting," Obi-wan said with forced calmness. In reality he was ready to shout at the two for trying to take each other apart so soon after their injuries.

Laurence sighed and scooped up a delicate gold ring with inlaid diamonds. "I was _going_ to tell him I wanted to ask Darra to marry me. Obviously there was a misunderstanding."

Anakin's head swung up and he stared at the guardian in shock. Laurence glared at him in response.

Obi-wan sat back and crossed his arms over his knees. "All right, let's start at the beginning. What were you two arguing about?"

"Nothing," Anakin and Laurence said unanimously. Both looked away shamefacedly, and Obi-wan had a suspicion he knew what the trouble was. Had a certain senator managed to affect them both in such a deep way?

"All right then," Obi-wan said testily. "Suppose we start with a different question. Laurence, I thought you were supposed to be the 'silent' guardian. Would you mind explaining that?"

Laurence glared at the ceiling. "Fine. You found out. I'm sick of hiding it anyways. While you're at it, would you mind telling the holonet so they can blast the news all over the galaxy? Maybe then people will stop asking me all these questions."

"You haven't answered _my_ question yet," Obi-wan pointed out. "Why did you hide everything?" He waited paitiently, hoping that Laurence's answer would reveal a few points about the clone's purpose... or lack of.

Laurence was silent for a while before finally speaking. "To tell you the truth... I don't know. Maybe I just thought it would get me into the royal service better. People are often trusted more if they can't effectively transfer information without a datapad. Maybe I just wanted a better life and I thought that was the best way to move ahead." He didn't dare mention the warning he had felt in the force just before speaking to Padme.

Obi-wan didn't believe a word of it, but he knew he wasn't about to get a straight answer from the guardian. He hesitated a moment, then asked, "Can you use the force?"

"No," Laurence responded.

"Yes!" Anakin broke in at the same time.

Obi-wan nodded, his suspicions confirmed. "I thought as much," he replied to Laurence's crestfallen features. "I felt your presence on Geonosis. Why are you hiding it?"

"None of your business!" Laurence snapped unintentionally. Everything was unravelling before his very eyes! Obi-wan had found out about his most hidden secret. How much longer before everything was known?

Obi-wan said nothing, but he took note of the swift mood change in Laurence. Remembering Teff's difficulties, he wondered if it could be a minor sign of a clone's defectiveness.

"Laurence, I'm not trying to trap you," Obi-wan reassured calmly as Laurence appeared in danger of hyperventilating. "I need to ask you however, do you know how you obtained these powers?"

"He's my twin brother," Anakin broke in.

Laurence blinked and Obi-wan turned to his padawan in surprise. "What?" Obi-wan questioned.

"Mom told me on Tatooine," Anakin flushed as he drew with his finger on the scuffed floor. "Laurence and I were separated at birth... at least that's what she says."

Obi-wan said nothing to question his apprentice's logic. He knew otherwise, but feared what the knowledge of Kamino could do to Anakin's frail mindset.

"But how does he know your mother?" Obi-wan asked. He was genuinely perplexed. Where had Shmi come up with that story?

"I met her on Tatooine," Laurence answered, allowing his cover story to take over. He didn't realize what a dilemma he was placing himself in. "During one of the pod races, I overheard her discussing with a farmer of their desire to marry as soon as he had enough money to free her." Laurence shrugged. "I offered to pay the rest of the money, and Shmi must have recognized me. They accepted me as a sort of foster son, and I've been a friend of the family since."

Obi-wan knew exactly why Shmi had recognized Laurence. Any mother would be able to note the features of her own son... even in an identical copy.

The question now was what to do about it. Somehow Laurence had managed to create his own life despite his past on Kamino. Could Obi-wan take that away from him? Yet could he really allow such a powerful, unstable young man free rein in the galaxy? If Teff had such powerful emotions, what could Obi-wan expect from Laurence?

Then the thought hit his mind. The one who had ordered the clones of Anakin had considered this clone to be _perfect_. Could it be possible that somehow Laurence had escaped most of the glitches of the cloning process and been able to carve out his own future? But what was his purpose now? What had he been created for?

Whatever the answers, Obi-wan knew he had to talk to the council about this. They would decide what needed to be done about Laurence. Until then, he had two young men who were in dire need of medical attention. Rolling his eyes at the idiocy of teenagers, Obi-wan hit the comlink for a nurse and ordered Anakin back to bed.

"I should be lecturing both of you right now for what happened," he said strictly as he helped Laurence up. "You're both old enough to know better."

Laurence and Anakin had the grace to appear properly ashamed as a medical droid bustled in and started squealing at the state of the medical ward. Several doctors, both droid and not, soon entered and started berating the two young men for straining their wounds.

Obi-wan shook his head as he backed out of the room and closed the door behind him. Sighing, he stroked his chin as he considered what he needed to do. He had to warn Darra about what she was getting into. Laurence may or may not have intended the engagement as a surprise, but Obi-wan would not let her get into anything she wasn't prepared for.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

To Obi-wan's shock, Darra merely smiled and nodded as soon as he finished.

"You aren't surprised?" Obi-wan asked.

Darra tilted her head to the side and fiddled with her lightsaber hilt. "I know a little more about the situation than you think, Obi-wan," she replied. "Laurence does have his secrets, yes, but I already know a great many things about his life." Darra raised her head and smiled brightly. "I cannot reveal his past to you Obi-wan, but I will say this. I trust him implicitly - with my life in fact. Laurence and I are going to be married, you see. I was going to tell the council when we arrived on Coruscant, but it looks like you'll be telling them for me."

Obi-wan stepped back, astounded at her blatant admission. "Darra, you realize you will be expelled from the order for this, don't you?"

Darra laughed, her voice light and carefree. "I'm not being expelled, Obi-wan. I'm leaving the order. I love Laurence, more than you could even begin to understand. I know what you think of him, but I've seen something deeper that no one knows about. When he asks me to marry him, I won't refuse."

"Darra, do you understand what you're getting into?" Obi-wan asked in astonishment and concern. "Laurence isn't any normal human being. He's a clone. We don't know enough about them. You must understand the risks you are taking."

Darra's eyes flashed and her chin lifted in the air in the same proud geasture Siri used when she was determined to win an arguement. "I know what I'm doing, Obi-wan."

Obi-wan sighed heavily. "Darra, I must be allowed to warn you at least. I've seen one of Anakin's clones, and his emotional balance is completely unstable. If Laurence turns out to be the same way, he could be a great danger."

Darra bowed her head respectfully, but Obi-wan could see she was unmoved. "Perhaps before you begin judging Laurence, you should see to your own padawan," Darra warned. "I'm afraid for him, Obi-wan. I don't think Anakin realizes what he's becoming."

Obi-wan felt his breath leave as though someone had punched him in the lungs. He had always known of Anakin's problems, but he had always felt it was another stage of life. Anakin had come to the temple early. He had been forced to be trained by Obi-wan due to Qui-gon's promise. The Jedi felt he was dangerous. He had been initially rejected. Obi-wan had always excused his padawan's behavior to a point. It wasn't Anakin's fault the galaxy had always been against him. Hearing a reprimand from Darra though had suddenly made the situation horribly real. She was right. He was losing Anakin.

"Perhaps you're right," Obi-wan finally sighed.

Darra raised an eyebrow in surprise, but waited patiently for Obi-wan to continue.

Obi-wan rubbed his chin as he thought. "I will have to report this to the council," he said, "But I will allow you to inform them of your plans to leave the order." He smiled slightly, hoping he was doing the right thing. "You are going to tell Siri first, aren't you?"

Darra's face beamed as she threw her arms around Obi-wan's neck and gave a very un-Jedi-like squeal before running down the hall.

Obi-wan paced the corridors a while longer before he too, left the hospital.

...

"But I don't understand, I thought he stayed on Kamino."

Obi-wan's brow furrowed as Lama Su's holographic image shrugged. "We haven't seen the boy since you left. We thought you had taken him with you. He did pack his medications after all."

Obi-wan let out a breath of frustration. He had contacted the Kaminoan prime minister only to find that Teff had disappeared off the face of the planet. Where the boy was now, he had no idea.

"Well, let me know the moment you spot him," Obi-wan responded as he switched off the hologram. He contacted the council next and told them of the news.

"A great disturbance, this is," Master Yoda spoke up. "Find young Teff, we must. A great danger he could become."

Mace Windu nodded his agreement. "The boy is not just a risk to himself, but to others around him. The council will send out a search party for him immediately."

"Um, begging your pardon, sir, but I don't think that will be neccessary."

Obi-wan turned in surprise to see a ragged clone trooper standing in the doorway. A sleeping boy was curled limply in the clone's arms.

"Teff!" Obi-wan breathed in relief as he hurried over.

"Found him on one of our ships the day we headed out," the trooper informed. "Quite the nasty little bugger. He nearly cracked the windows with his screaming. He finally managed to tire himself out and slept the rest of the way to Geonosis. After that he was the nicest kid you'd ever seen. I'm not quite sure how he does it."

Obi-wan smiled as he took Teff from the clone. "I don't think I want to know. I just hope the council realizes what their in for."

"I believe you've given us a pretty good idea," one of the council members piped up from the holograph.

Obi-wan grinned sheepishly. "I think we've got quite the handful here - and I'm not going to be the one training him." Obi-wan meant it as a joke, but the truth of it was severe enough. He already had an unbalanced Anakin to deal with, and now that Laurence and Teff had been added to the picture, Obi-wan wasn't sure what would happen to the galaxy.

"Train him, the Jedi council will," Yoda replied.

"If anything, we will ensure he is no longer a threat," Mace Windu added.

Obi-wan nodded. "I'll bring him to the temple right away."

"Wait, Obi-wan," Mace Windu interrupted. "We don't want the galaxy to know that a clone has been made of the Chosen One. Wait until nightfall, and keep him hidden. The council will find a way to deal with him secretly."

Obi-wan plastered a smile on his face, but his insides were churning. The council expected him to look after of a raging tornado for the next eight hours? Using the force to switch off the hologram, Obi-wan closed his eyes and begged for death.

"I think you'll need these, sir," the clone trooper mentioned as he handed Obi-wan Teff's pack. "He's got enough medication left for two days, and we already ordered some more from one of Coruscant's medical wards."

Obi-wan admired the preparedness of the clones considering the little tyrant.

"I don't suppose you packed anything to keep him unconscious, did you?" he asked hopelessly.

The trooper chuckled. "Sorry sir, we're all out of that."

"Yes, I was afraid so," Obi-wan said dryly. "Well, I suppose babysitting is a task even a Jedi Master must face."

"Good luck sir," the trooper saluted as he turned to leave. "You're going to need it."

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

"You understand this decision is not to be taken lightly," Mace Windu warned.

Darra nodded, her posture straight and formal. Siri shook her head with a slight smile as she sat by the door. Despite Darra's initial fears, Siri had taken the news very well. After all, the Jedi Master had always been a bit of a rule bender herself. Siri had wished Darra the best of happiness and insisted she do what her heart desired. Darra suspected Siri's easy acceptance also had to do with the not-so-casual glances she sometimes exchanged with Obi-wan.

Siri was also the only Jedi Darra had trusted to tell of Laurence's true identity. With Laurence's permission, Darra had broached the news to her Master in hopes that Siri could help look after Anakin. Siri had been shocked at first, but had gradually come to accept the matter, promising to keep it a secret. Darra knew she could trust her.

"Once a Jedi leaves the temple, difficult it is to return," Yoda pointed out.

"I am satisfied with my decision, Master Yoda," Darra reassured the short green Jedi Master. "I do not hold any regrets."

"Then the decision has been made," Mace Windu replied. He waited a moment. "You do realize, Darra, that the council is not forcing you to leave the temple."

"I understand that," Darra answered. "But I choose to leave of my own accord."

If Laurence had left the temple, then she would too. It would be too painful for him to be constantly in touch with his past life. Besides, traveling across the galaxy on missions was never a fun idea when one was married, and if children came along things would be even worse.

"Then may the force be with you," Mace Windu answered as he leaned back in his chair.

Siri stepped forward, her lightsaber drawn. Darra could see the sadness in her eyes as she clipped Darra's braid. Normally this would have been done in a knighting ceremony, but now it was only to signify the withdrawel of another padawan.

Suddenly Darra realized that it meant so much more for Siri. Ferus Olin, her first padawan, had left the temple under different circumstances only years before.

"I'm so sorry, Siri," Darra started to apoligize.

"Hush," Siri whispered, smiling through her tears. "I'm very proud of you."

Darra slowly handed over her lightsaber, feeling both relieved and empty at the same time. "I'll always be here," she whispered.

"Take the lightsaber with you, Darra," Mace Windu spoke up. "Even if you are no longer at the temple, you are still a Jedi."

Darra knew this was a little unorthadox for the council, but a sly wink from Siri told her that something had been worked out in her favor.

"Thank you for your training," Darra said as she bowed deeply.

"May the force be with you, Darra," Siri replied. The other Jedi echoed his statement.

Straightening her shoulders, Darra walked out of the council doors for the last time. She now knew exactly how Ferus had felt three years before.

"Darra, wait."

Darra turned around to see Tru standing across the hall, his arm in a sling.

"Tru. What are you doing here?"

"Is it true?" her friend asked. "Are you actually getting married?"

Darra fought down the urge to giggle like a school girl. "Yes, Tru, the rumors are correct."

Tru sighed. "It's that Laurence, isn't it?" At Darra's confirmation Tru pointed out, "But you've only known him for a few weeks. How can a chance meeting be enough to make you leave us?"

Darra shook her head, her eyes lighting in the mysterious way that Tru never understood in girls. "It's not just chance, Tru. We've known each other a long time. It just... took us a while to realize we were meant for each other."

Tru shook his head. "It's not the Jedi way. You've changed in the past four weeks. I'm not sure I know you anymore."

Darra hestitated. "Is that bad?"

Tru thought about it, then shook his head agian, finally allowing himself to smile. "No, I guess it isn't. We won't be seeing each other around much though. Be sure and keep in touch with the temple. We'll all miss you."

Darra was touched by the padawan's remark. "I promise I'll contact you often," she reassured her friend.

Tru nodded, accepting the possibility that they would never hear from one another again. "I'll make sure and warn Laurence ahead of time to take care of you," he pointed out. "If he doesn't, I'll talk to him personally."

Darra laughed. "Aren't Jedi supposed to be above revenge?"

Tru smirked slightly. "Not when it comes to protecting others."

Waving a hand goodbye, he walked away. Darra realized suddenly that her life was abruptly turning a corner, and she didn't know what she would find on the other side.

... ... ... .. . ... .. ... ... ... . ... .. ... ... ... ... ... ...

"No."

"Pleeease?"

"No! An - Teff I've told ten times already, you're not allowed to touch the Terretta. Lama Su says that sweets have a very bad effect on your emotions, so you are not to even go near that candy."

Teff flopped against the couch and pouted. "Can't I go outside?" he pleaded.

"No. I told you, you need to stay inside for now." Obi-wan raised his eyes to the ceiling and asked what he had done to deserve this.

"What're you doing?" Teff asked as he jumped back up and sniffed at the concoction Obi-wan was preparing.

"It's dye for your hair," Obi-wan responded. "The council will not allow me to take you to the temple unless you are properly able to sneak through the hallways without being seen. It's a test for your stealth skills," he added. Actually, the dye was only to help hide Teff's actual identity, but Obi-wan wasn't about to reveal that to him.

Teff sniffed at the dye again. "You mean I'm gonna get to sneak around the Jedi? Cool!"

Obi-wan rolled his eyes. "Yes, it's very fantastic. Now would you stop inhaling the fumes? You're going to give yourself brain damage."

Teff chortled and began running around the room.

"Hold on - wait - don't do that - did you take your medicine?" Obi-wan called as the boy bounded off the couch and crashed into the wall.

"Yep, just now," Teff laughed as he rubbed his forehead.

Obi-wan gave the boy a level stare. "Just now you were discussing the finer points of hair dye," he pointed out.

Teff's eyes shifted. Obi-wan planted his hands on his hips. "Go get me that medicine."

"Yes, your royal excellency," Teff griped as he slunk off.

"And don't take that tone with me," Obi-wan warned.

Inwardly berating the council for leaving him with a brat who was ten times worse than his own padawan, he finished stirring the dark colored dye. With any luck the black hair coloring and green contacts would help Teff hide his identity well enough, though the entire council openly voiced their doubts as to how this would work out.

"Are you coming?" Obi-wan called over his shoulder.

"I'm comin', I'm comin'," Teff grumbled as he stomped into the room. Under Obi-wan's careful eye, he swallowed the twelve different medicine vials. Once he was finished, Teff sat calmly while Obi-wan administered eight different shots, four to each shoulder. Obi-wan was feeling rather naseous by the time he finished, and he wondered how Teff could stand the pain.

Teff merely shrugged it off however and calmly sat in a chair for his hair proceedure. Relieved that the medication had finally calmed the boy down, Obi-wan leaned against the wall briefly and wondered if the apartment he had rented for the day would still be standing by the time Teff vacated it.

"So we gonna get going?" Teff asked as his legs started to pump excitedly in the air.

Anxious to finish Teff's hair before the kid began bounding over the furniture again, Obi-wan ignored the suspicious tint to the dark liquid. Just as he began carefully pouring it over Teff's hair, the boy gave a violent sneeze. His chair rocked back against Obi-wan, hitting the Jedi Master directly in the stomach. Before Obi-wan could stop it, the entire vat of liquid poured directly over Teff's head.

It was a shocking electric blue.

"Aw, come on!" Teff shouted as he wiped the dye away from his eyes.

Obi-wan groaned and covered his eyes with his hand. He could have sworn the color was black! What was he going to tell the council?

Seeing Obi-wan's obvious distress, Teff leapt from his chair and ran to the fresher. Drops of blue dye flew everywhere, and Obi-wan hoped the council would not charge him with the cleaning bill for the apartment rugs.

"Are you crazy?" Teff's voice rang out as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. "That is so wizard!"

Obi-wan sat back in a chair and moaned.

"Hey, Obi-wan! Didja see it? Didja see my hair? This is so wizard!" Teff was working himself into an hyperactive state as he began dashing through the rooms and examining his blue tinted face and bright cyan hair in different mirrors.

Obi-wan shook his head and refused to take his hand from his eyes. What was he going to tell Mace Windu?

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

"You're sure that Laurence is the clone the Kaminoans were talking about?" Mace Windu questioned as Obi-wan stood in the center of the council.

"I am quite positive," Obi-wan confirmed. "His story matches up with the time he would have left Kamino, and he left a great deal of blanks which lead me to believe that he is hiding his experiences there."

"It is strange that he has no connection to the force," Kai-Adi Mundi pointed out.

Obi-wan shook his head. "With all due respect, Master Mundi, Laurence showed a great deal of force capability on Tatooine. How he has managed to hide it so long is beyond me, but I do know that he is definately force sensetive."

Mace Windu nodded. "I agree. During the battle on Geonosis, I also noticed him use the force to prevent the extermination of the bounty hunter, Jango Fett."

"He saved Jango Fett's life?" Kai-Adi Mundi questioned in astonishment. "That is indeed disturbing."

"I do not think so," Mace Windu replied unexpectedly. "I sensed no malice in his actions."

"You believe he is on our side?" Obi-wan asked.

"If the reports from Coruscant are true, Laurence was already aiding the police force before he became the Queen's Guardian. After working for her for as long as he has, I do not think he would prove a traitor. The Naboo security force is extremely cautious of whom they place in the royal guard. They would not choose anyone who could not be trusted."

"But there is still the matter that Laurence _is_ very powerful in the force when he chooses to be," Obi-wan pointed out. "He could turn out to be very dangerous."

"Perhaps a threat," Yoda spoke up. "Or perhaps an ally, young Stalin could be."

"The council will discuss this further," Mace Windu concluded. "Until then, I do not consider Laurence to be an immediate threat. We will wait for a time and see what his motives are."

"There is still the younger boy to deal with as well," Kai-Adi Mundi pointed out.

"Teff has shown great promise in the force," Mace Windu agreed, "But he has no control. The council has yet to decide whether or not to train him. For now he will remain at the temple."

"I understand," Obi-wan said.

"Dismissed you are, Obi-wan," Yoda rasped. "Inform you of our decision, the council will."

Obi-wan bowed respectfully and left the room, his mind bursting with questions.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Anakin sulked back in bed as he waited for his hospital clearance. It had been three days since he and Laurence had been in their fight, and Anakin was just now considered well enough to leave.

Laurence on the other hand was banned to his room for another week. Already weakened despite his attempts to move around after 48 hours of "boredom," Laurence had nearly fallen into a coma after his and Anakin's brawl. It had been two days before he had regained consciousness, and from what Anakin knew, Darra was still lecturing the guardian for his obvious lack of common sense. It was a wonder Laurence was still alive after all he had been through.

Anakin's right arm on the other hand had almost been damaged irreparably. Emergency surgery had taken place to restore the torn muscles, and Anakin had been instructed not to move the limb for another week.

Until that time, Anakin was able to experience a new understanding of Laurence's fear of boredom. The holonet was available as well as plenty of reading material, but Anakin was tired of sitting around. He wanted to be _doing_ something! More importantly, he wanted to see Padme.

As if to grant his wish, the door hissed open as Padme entered. Her formal dress was a rich burgundy color, and her hair was tied back in the traditional Naboo style.

"Ani, it's good to see you awake!"

Anakin swore that the whole world lit up every time Padme smiled.

"It's good to see you too," he said softly. After Laurence's admission that he planned to marry _Darra_ instead of Padme, Anakin had felt hope rekindle in him once more. Could it be possible that he still had a chance with his angel?

Padme pulled up a chair beside the bed and sat down. She looked nervous, and her hands continually twisted a handkerchief - a very un-Padme like gesture.

"How's your arm doing?" she asked.

"Fine." Anakin wished she would get to the point.

Padme let her eyes rove around the room for a moment before speaking again. "I'm going to be on Coruscant for another week or longer," she said. "The senate has requested my help in resolving the latest issues with the seperatists. I'm not sure anything will happen, but I told them I would do what I could."

Anakin nodded. "They will appreciate your help."

Padme's eyes shifted to the side and she lay the handkerchief down. "That's not the only reason I'm staying."

Anakin felt his breath halt.

Padme looked him in the eye, her nervousness dissapated. "Ani, I wanted to tell you this on Geonosis. I can't stand for us to be apart anymore. I don't care what happens. I feel as though I've been dying a little every day since I met you, and it's time to put an end to that." Smiling softly, Padme took Anakin's left hand and stroked it gently. "I love you, Ani, and I always have."

Anakin stared at her in wonder for a moment, then pulled her into a kiss. He had finally won his angel's heart.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

_Two week later..._

"Can I come too? Huh? Huh? Pleeease!"

"Teff, I told you to stay away from the ship exhausts!"

"But I wanna go with them!"

Anakin grinned as he watched the electric blue haired eleven-year-old work himself into a tantrum. Mace Windu had taken the strange boy as a padawan only a few days ago, but he was certainly in over his head with his attempts to train the youngster. Already Teff's blue-tinted face was turning bright red with his shouting, and Mace Windu was threatening a one way trip back to Kamino if the boy didn't settle down.

"And the Jedi thought I was a terrible padawan," Anakin joked as he elbowed Laurence in the ribs.

Laurence said nothing as he watched Mace Windu and Teff argue. After learning about the clone facility, it had been a simple matter to put two and two together when it came to his "look-alikes." A mere week hadn't been enough time for Laurence to get over his revulsion of the fact that someone had taken his blood cells and made carbon copies of his DNA. He had managed to accept the fact, but still wasn't sure what to think of "Anakin" and Teff.

"So what happened between you and Darra?" Anakin asked out of the blue. At Laurence's questioning look he added, "You said you were in love with Padme. When did that turn around?"

Laurence shrugged, unintentionally falling back into his silent role.

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, sometime during Naboo you two just decided you were made for each other."

Laurence gave a crooked smile but said nothing.

Anakin sighed in exhasperation. "Am I going to have to deal with you acting like this the entire way back?"

Laurence smirked.

"Anakin, Laurence, we're ready to leave!"

Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Anakin bounded ahead of Laurence to get to the ship first. Laurence followed behind more slowly, still recovering from his injuries.

"You boys _are_ going to try and behave like your age, aren't you?" Padme asked sternly as she boarded. She had heard about their fight in the medical ward, and had given each of them a sound lecture for it.

Anakin and Laurence's faces were all innocence. Anakin leapt into the cockpit seat and started fiddling with controls. Laurence rolled his eyes and flopped down into one of the passenger seats.

"Don't you dare start quibbling now," Padme warned as she folded her arms and glared at Laurence.

"Who started it this time?"

Laurence turned to see Darra enter the ship, her Jedi clothing exchanged for a simple blue outfit. She took note of Anakin's cheeky grin and Laurence's innocent expression, then shook her head and took a seat next to Laurence.

"I suppose I'm going to have to keep you two on separate sides of the ship for the entire trip, aren't I?"

Laurence grinned. "Or you could just let me pilot."

"Not on your life!" Anakin shot back.

Padme took the copilot seat and gave the boys a warning look. "Try and refrain from killing each other, all right?"

"Yes, mother," the boys said unanimously.

Laurence leaned back against the seat, finally feeling content with life. Padme was now returning to Naboo, and Anakin was supposedly "escorting" her back. Laurence knew better.

After some discussion, both Laurence and Darra had agreed that they wanted a simple, quiet wedding somewhere out in the country. Naboo had seemed the perfect planet, as Laurence had promised to escort Padme back anyways. He had contacted Shmi during his stay in the hospital, and had sent the credits needed for the entire family to come and attend the wedding. He knew his Mom wouldn't want to miss out on this.

Later on, Laurence also intended to tell Shmi about the clone. She needed a plausible explanation for the "extra Anakin," and it would be easier for the family to know where he had come from.

Darra leaned against Laurence's shoulder and took his arm. "It seems so strange to be leaving the temple," she said softly. "I feel I'm doing the right thing, but it's like..."

"Like walking out on your entire life," Laurence filled in.

Darra nodded, considering what she had done. She didn't regret her decision. Now that she too had left the temple, she could better understand how Laurence and Ferus had felt. It had once seemed so foreign to her, the thought of abandoning the Jedi life. Now Darra had been faced with the same choice they had. None of the padawans had been forced to leave the temple. Each had left for their own hopes of a different and better future. It seemed Laurence had found his, and Darra knew she would be happy as long as she was with him. But what about Ferus? Had he found his place in a galaxy separate from the Jedi life?

"Something's bothering you," Laurence broke into her thoughts.

Darra smiled at him and watched Coruscant fade away as Anakin piloted the ship further into space.

"I'm all right," she reassured. She repeated to herself in a softer tone, "For once everything is just fine."

...

The wedding had been simple yet memorable. Darra had worn a simple long sleeved wedding gown and veil, while Laurence had worn his favorite outfit of black lined in electric blue. Shmi had watched with tears in her eyes as her son finally slipped the ring onto Darra's finger, and Beru had even cheered when the two kissed. Naturally she ruined the solemn moment, but everyone had laughed at her exhuberance. Cliegg had gladly welcomed his new daughter-in-law to the family, and Owen celebrated by eating half the refreshments.

Later Laurence had told the family about his clone. Shmi had said nothing, unable to speak for shock. Owen and Beru had been outraged at the unexpected announcement, but Cliegg seemed to take the news in a rationally calm manner. It was Cliegg who reminded them that Laurence's secret still needed to be dealt with, and the family decided it would be best to continue pretending that Anakin was Shmi's real son. Cliegg liked Laurence's idea of being a close friend of the family, and proposed to keep the cover story for if one of the Jedi returned. Shmi didn't tell of her own personal lie, though she knew she would have to explain things if Laurence's clone returned to question it further.

Afterwards, Laurence meandered through the city until he came to Padme's house. He hadn't missed the fact that a certain padawan and senator were holding a private ceremony of their own. When it was over he approached Padme.

"I'm so glad to know that you'll have Darra now," Padme told him as she removed the bridal headdress. Suddenly remembering something, she hissed, "You won't tell anyone about Anakin and I, will you?"

Laurence gave her a crooked grin.

Padme smiled. "Always my silent guardian, Laurence. Though it won't be the same anymore. I'm not sure I can get used to the fact that you aren't a mute."

"Actually, I need to talk to you about that, Padme," Laurence replied. "I won't be working for you any longer. Now that Darra and I are married, I'm going to be moving back to Coruscant. I want her to be near the Temple in case they ever request her help again." He didn't add the fact that Anakin would likely tear him apart if he thought there was any chance Laurence was trying to get between him and Padme.

Padme's face fell. "Oh. I see." She shrugged slightly and smiled a bit. "Funny, for some reason I always imagined you being around. I should have expected this to happen sooner or later."

"I can't thank you enough for what you did for me, Padme," Laurence told her gently. "If it hadn't been for you, I'd still be on Coruscant."

"Likewise I'd probably be dead ten times over," Padme admitted. She sighed. "I'm going to miss you, Laurence."

Laurence chuckled. "Don't worry, you probably will never be able to get rid of me completely. I've already been offered a job as a pilot on Coruscant. If the war gets as bad as the rumors hint, I might wind up fighting for the republic."

Padme grinned. "Maybe you'll wind up protecting me again."

"Or killing myself."

Padme's smile disapeared at the lighthearted comment. "Don't. Don't even joke that way. It's not funny!"

"All right, all right," Laurence said, trying to reassure the distraught senator. "I promise I'll be careful."

"If anything Darra will keep him out of trouble," Anakin's voice broke in as he walked over. He gave Laurence a cool nod and put an arm protectively around Padme's shoulders.

"Well it looks like I should probably be leaving now," Laurence excused himself, taking note of Anakin's impatience to see him gone. "Darra wants to head back as soon as possible, and I need to pack my belongings."

"You're leaving so quickly?" Padme asked.

Laurence nodded and bowed to his former Queen. "It has been an honor, Milady, but I fear it is time for our paths to part." He unconsciously fell back into his formal role as security guard as he spoke.

Padme smiled slightly and gave him a tight hug. "Contact us as often as you can," she requested.

Laurence promised that either he or Darra would do so if possible, and with another bow he left the room. Suddenly it hit him. For over two years he had spent his life dedicated to serving Padme. Now he was leaving everything behind. Laurence felt like he was abandoning the temple all over again. Once again his life was taking a dramatic turn, and he wondered what events would unfold next. It seemed that no matter how much Laurence rejected his connection to the force, it still had future plans him after all.

Spotting Darra ahead in one of the gardens, Laurence ran forward and swept her into a deep kiss. He did care what the future held for him. Whatever happened would happen. For now at least, he was going home.

**... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...**

** WHOO-HOO! Chapter 17 and END! I finally finished a story! (Even if it is just part 1.) **

** I know there are a lot of blank spaces right now. There will be a short in between story right before ROTC which will explain some of those, and the rest of things will be solved in the ROTC arc. **

** The next story has been added along with this chapter. The title is "Phoenix Reborn."**

**...**

** Story comments:**

** 1. No, Padme is not falling for Laurence any longer (just to reassure the readers). It was an friendly kiss - nothing more.**

** 2. Yes, Obi-wan really managed to miss the big picture. But how could he suspect Anakin as being the clone when Anakin was "right there" the whole time? Laurence did pop up out of the blue after all.**


	18. Notes on the Story

** I'm surprised to find out how much I like this story despite how different it is from my original plotline. All my plots have to change a great deal to better adapt to the readers (my mind is random), but this one kept pretty well on course. Here are a few things I added/left out to make the story better. **

**1. Anakin had two siblings. (Obviously not going to work)**

**2. Darra and Ferus both were going to help guard Padme (Too many Jedi make a complicated plotline)**

**3. Anakin had multi-oc powers. (Definately not like the real Star Wars films)**

**4. Teff was actually one of Anakin's "code" names. (That was a different plotline altogether)**

**5. The real Teff and other clones of Anakin never existed. He had 1 clone only.**

**6. Padme and the Jedi never realize that Laurence can speak until after ROTS. (That gets a little complicated.)**

**7. I was originally going to use a Tukata for the fourth arena beast, but switched to mastif because it was native to Geonosis.**

**8. Jilzan was nonexistant. (Do I hear sobs or cheers that he's gone?)**

**9. Siri was not Darra's master. Somehow I kept picturing Siri as Darra's master as I wrote, and I finally just added it into the story.**

**10. Obi-wan and the Jedi never suspected about Anakin's clone. (Of course, that would never make sense.)**

**11. Laurence and Padme were never in love. He always loved Darra. (Dramatic plotline? Hardly.)**

**12. Ferus Skywalker (from Phoenix Reborn) was supposed to resemble Laurence's older brother. (Once again that part of the plotline that would never work in this story)**

**As it was, I had only the basic skeleton of this plotline when I started writing. I had to make up everything inbetween, which wouldn't have worked out nearly as well without a lot of tips from the readers.**

**Thank you to everyone for your overwhelming support!**

**Here is the link to Phoenix Reborn if you want to find the next part of the story: ****.net/s/6800477/1/Phoenix_Reborn**


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